The Hot Springs
by the-kuronekosama
Summary: An older Rin is coming to realize how deeply she loves Sesshoumaru. A new way of life starts in a hot spring. (Chapters 10 & 15 fixed.)
1. Chapter 1

Glancing up at the noon sky, Rin took in a large gulp of air as the scent of spring's cherry blossoms gently drifted to her. The breeze was strong that day, and it blew her long, silky black hair around her in swirling tendrils, as buoyant as if supported by water. Her newest kimono, light blue with intricate navy blue embroidering along the sides and chest, ruffled slightly in the wind, letting in a small amount of air to cool her body, which was getting a bit warm in the day's heat. It wasn't summer yet, but Rin could smell it coming in the air.

"Rin. Do not fall behind."

Rin looked down from the clouds rushing by overhead to look at her one and only master. Sesshoumaru, still in the same attire in which she had first seen him so many years ago, looked as handsome now as he did then. The cool look on his face told her he was as serious today as he was then, too. He never was very easy to read, but Rin had learned a few small things over the years. Giving him her sweetest smile, she continued her earlier pace as she accompanied Sesshoumaru, who roamed his lands territorially, marking it as his property by simply exuding his demon scent. Rin, as a human, knew that she could not smell nearly as well as her Sesshoumaru-sama, but she once picked up his scent one early morning when she was around sixteen. It had been over a year since that day, but she clearly remembered every moment with her master...

-_Flashback_-

It was nearing dawn, and Rin was aware that she was dreaming as she turned onto her stomach near the fire pit, which had died out long ago. It was not a cold night, though, only a bit cool, so Rin didn't feel the absence of heat and continued dreaming, squirming under her covers every few minutes. Her blankets were twisted around her legs, showing off some lightly tanned, smooth skin that was delicately pulled over toned muscles. Breathing heavily, she vaguely thought to herself that the dream was one of a very different nature versus the ones she had dreamt before. When she was younger, her dreams haunted her with memories of her parents' death, and with memories of the abusive villagers who would beat her up for stealing food. They were unhappy dreams, to say the least, but they always ended with her coming upon Sesshoumaru, and wishing that it could be she that was forever by his side. When she had first found him, she tried to be kind to the demon, even knowing what he was. He had not hurt her the way the villagers had, and no one had told her specifically that demons were all evil and bloodthirsty, so at the time, she was naive as to the extent of the danger that approaching demons would bring. He had looked exotic and new, someone unique and alone, like her—someone she could feel close to.

Her dreams slowly evolved as the years went by, and she became accustomed to traveling with her master. She would dream of bringing him flowers, or of cooking meals for him. Father used to always bring her mother flowers, and mother would cook his favorite dishes for him every night. Nearing the age when most girls would start to blush when handsome young boys glanced their way, Rin was still unaware of the changes in her body. Sesshoumaru certainly knew, though. The first time he smelled blood on her, he knew that she had become capable of bearing pups. Rin had been scared to find herself bleeding, but Sesshoumaru ordered Jaken to explain how to deal with it. He did not, however, tell her why she was bleeding. For a few days before the times when she sporadically bled again, Sesshoumaru would leave without explanation. He didn't want Rin to know that her body held the scent of a female in heat.

Once her monthly cycles had become evenly timed, she slowly became aware of little knots in her stomach that became increasingly evident. She would feel empty, even if she had eaten and had quenched her thirst. At this point, her dreams took on an entirely different theme. She dreamed of strong hands holding her, a firmly muscled chest against hers, and a pressure over her pelvis. The dreams were breathless and warm, and she would feel itchy and damp in her most private of places. It was so again this morning. Dawn's light was beginning to color the sky in lighter tones of blue and purple when she had rolled onto her back again. The secret place between her thighs began to throb, and she felt warm all over. The dream intensified as the strong hands rubbed her chest, and the pressure on her pelvis shifted slightly, pushing against her and then letting up. The cadence of pushing quickened, making Rin's secret place throb quite heavily.

Before she knew it, though, her eyes snapped open, and she sat up, looking around the forest clearing where they had spent the night. She shifted her legs only slightly, confirming that the same odd wetness was there again. Then, starting from her left, she saw Jaken on the other side of the clearing with his head leaning back on a tree trunk and the Staff of Heads on his lap. In front of her was the dead fire, still smoldering a bit. Rin didn't spare it a second thought, though, since Jaken usually stoked the fire in order to cook breakfast. To her right, she stifled a gasp when she saw her Sesshoumaru-sama, glaring at her intently. His breathing was irregular, and he was crouched low in almost a fighting stance. It was then that she could smell him. A musky, but light smell, and it only caused her nether parts to throb more. Confused, she was unsure as to why her body ached. She opened her mouth to ask Sesshoumaru why, but he suddenly growled and took off into the woods. Scared that she had upset her master, she made to get up, but realized her feet were still tangled in the blanket. She looked down and found with a gasp that her kimono had fallen open, baring her chest to the world. Knowing that it was a serious offense when she had lived with her parents to ever reveal more than her face and arms to the public eye, she gasped and clutched at her clothing.

_Sesshoumaru-sama, is this why you were angry?_

Sesshoumaru, already a quarter mile away from the campsite by the time Rin had adjusted her bedclothes, stopped next to a tree and leaned on it, glad to be away from the intoxicating scent that Rin was giving off. For about ten minutes, he had sat there while the scent increased, not wanting to leave, but realizing that his body was reacting in kind. When Rin had sat up, though, and had bared her chest to his hungry eyes, he crouched low, ready to leave the area without her seeing him. However, her gaze had settled on him before he could leave, and she stared at him for what felt like a full minute, not covering herself. Her eyes held an emotion close to confusion, but mixed in was the arousal she had felt in her dreams. Suddenly, though, her scent intensified even further, letting Sesshoumaru know full well that being there had only increased her stimulation. That's when he forced himself to leave, even though at that moment, he would have done almost anything to stay there and make her ache go away.

-_End Flashback_-

Rin, lost in her own thoughts, did not realize that her master had stopped until she bumped into him. He did not react, but she could tell by the way he paused for a few seconds before speaking to her that it had annoyed him. Rin moved to his side and bowed her head, silently apologizing. She had been rambunctious when she was young, but living with someone who spoke so little for nine years—well, it wore off on her. Rin still showed her affection for the demon whenever she could. She was exceedingly grateful that he took care of her, even if he showed his feelings in odd, subtle ways: refreshing the fire on cold nights when she was still asleep; giving her new kimonos whenever she needed one, without even asking if she wanted one; pausing for a rest if she seemed tired. It had taken she nearly a year to work up the courage to ask if she could help him groom his hair—he had given her an odd stare. It had been expressionless, except for the way his mouth opened just a tiny bit. He had nodded his ascent, and she had finally gotten to touch what she had wanted to touch ever since she first met him.

"We are stopping for half an hour." Rin looked up at her Sesshoumaru-sama and smiled, running her hand down his arm as she left to sit at the base of a cherry tree. The arm, which her master had finally found a replacement for three years after she met him, had been taken from the body of another dog demon who died after he attacked a village deep in the western lands. The village's resident priest, a powerful one, had defeated him after an hour-long battle, or so Jaken said after he had retrieved the arm. Sesshoumaru had taken the arm and attached it to his shoulder, though he didn't let her see him do it. Telling Jaken that he had done well, it was months before the annoying toad stopped boasting about master's praise to her. However, Rin was thankful that Jaken at least spoke to her once in a while, teaching her a few things that he said master wanted her to know, but she still hated his guts, and would always hide his stuff where he couldn't find it unless he searched for at least an hour. This stopped after a while, though. Sesshoumaru didn't like their squabbling—he said it annoyed him—so she stopped pestering Jaken for Sesshoumaru's sake.

Rin played with her hair while they rested, combing her fingers through it. She watched the way the breeze rolled over the field of grass and wildflowers in the distance, making it look like a green sea, and began to weave little braids into the tips of her hair. Hearing the soft crunch of grass behind her, signaling that someone was there, Rin jumped a little, looking over her shoulder at her Sesshoumaru-sama. She watched, almost mystified, as Sesshoumaru sat down next to her and very nonchalantly pulled her into his lap. Rin had been happy enough that he had even sat next to her, but being pulled into his lap made her downright giddy, and she smiled sweetly up at him. Sesshoumaru quietly grumbled that he needed grooming, and was seemingly aghast at how affectionate Rin was being. Reaching to her bag next to the cherry tree trunk, Rin pulled out a small comb, which her master had given to her when she was still quite young. The teeth were a bit worn but still in as good a shape as they had ever been. Rin started at the ends, carefully pulling the comb through his hair. Her master simply stared out into the field, relaxed but alert. Once Rin had made her way around the ends of his hair, she was unable to reach farther up to his scalp from her position, and shifted slightly so that she could finish combing the tangles out. Tugging her kimono up her legs, she squirmed around and straddled her master's lap, unaware of the way in which his muscles tensed.

Sesshoumaru was quite aware, though. Her womanhood was pressed against his pelvis, and whenever she pulled the comb through his hair (an act that felt good in its own right), her pelvis would put pressure on his groin—an act that felt tremendously good. He had folded his arms in front of his chest once he had settled her in his lap, but when she turned around to straddle his hips, he was obligated to move his arms, and had automatically placed his hands on her thighs. Rin, concentrating on the task at hand, had not noticed where his hands were until she felt them squeeze her thighs. It had been light and quick, but her combing stopped in mid-stroke, and she began to breathe a bit more shallowly when she realized that something was growing underneath her. His hands squeezed her thighs again, a bit more insistently and for a longer period of time. The hardness quickly building beneath her was pressed to the spot that had been aching for quite a while now, and without thinking, she pushed herself down against it, lowering her hands.

Sesshoumaru growled and suddenly plucked her up off his lap. She grasped at his wrists, mouth open and heart pounding. Standing up easily, he put her on her feet and strode away, both hands fisted. Worried that she had made her master angry, Rin stuttered,

"I-I'm so sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama! I didn't mean to upset you!" She was answered with a growl, and from further down the path, where Jaken was sitting, Jaken glared at her, even though he probably didn't know the reason for Sesshoumaru's piqued ire.

"Pick up your things and follow," was all Sesshoumaru said. Knowing this to be close enough to forgiveness as she was going to get, she adjusted her kimono and snatched up her bag, reattaching it to Un's side of the saddle. She stayed with the pack animal as she walked, though, not certain if her Sesshoumaru-sama wanted her company just yet. After about half an hour, she heard her name, and jogged up to Sesshoumaru as best as she could in her constrictive kimono. Though she wore clothes that only draped down a bit past her knees when she was a young child, he eventually only provided the longer ones that made running harder. Slowing to walk next to him, she looked up at him, but he didn't glance her way. Looking ahead again, she coyly slid her hand into her master's, and was relieved to feel him curl his fingers around hers. For the rest of the day, they walked as such, and Rin earned a lot of glares from Jaken, who walked ahead a good fifty feet.

Sesshoumaru, when Rin had unconsciously rubbed against his arousal, had used all his strength to keep from shoving his hands up the skirt of her kimono and grabbing her hind end so that he could grind her pelvis against his. Instead, he put her body away from the ache in his groin, and stalked off, fists clenched to remind himself that bedding down with a human was beneath his station. Though his mind had gone through the arguments countless times before, the debate in his head began again.

_She's weak, only a human. Any pups from her would be weak as well._

_But, being half-demon does not diminish the blood's power—f a strong demon mates with a human, an equally strong half-demon is born._

_Humans are fickle and vain. She will abandon me once her weak human heart is swayed._

_But, she has been with me for a decade, showing loyalty only to me and my retainers._

_...She will make me weak._

As he told her to prepare to leave, he walked ahead, needing time to cool his ardor before letting her near him again. She stumbled out an apology, and Sesshoumaru inwardly winced. _You have nothing to apologize for._ He knew very well that Rin was at the age when humans married and mated. He knew that her mind was no longer like a child's, just as her body was no longer like a child's. How well he knew that last fact. Rolling his thoughts around in his mind, Sesshoumaru pondered on what he should do with Rin now that she could be taken care of by someone else...a husband. Fighting hard not to admit it to himself, he didn't want to give Rin to anyone, but his mind screamed to him... S_he's mine! No one else can have her!_

Shaking the thought out of his head, he grumbled her name to get her attention, and soon she caught up to him. He knew she was looking at him, but he didn't want to look down at her. He didn't want her to see the fierce possessiveness in his eyes. Just as the western lands were his territory, so was Rin. Rin belonged to him alone. Feeling her hand creep into his, he conceded to give her a small measure of the territoriality he was feeling over her, and closed his fingers.

About half an hour before sunset, Sesshoumaru stopped them near a hot spring. Knowing that he did not like the smell of sweat that humans gave off, Rin bathed every chance she could. Since he would be gone for a short while to hunt for food, an easy task, she retrieved her bag from Ah-Un and walked off in the direction of the hot spring, not knowing that her master was watching her. Sesshoumaru beckoned to Jaken.

"I will bring back food for the girl. Make sure she behaves." Then taking off, he practically vanished from the clearing, his nose already picking up the scent of a young doe nearby. Jaken snorted to himself,

"There's no way I'm going over there. She'll call me a pervert like she did last time and throw rocks at my head." Sitting down on the grass near master's beast of burden, Jaken continued grumbling to himself, hoping Rin returned from her bath before master returned from hunting.

Rin, having gathered some cherry blossoms earlier that day, let them spill out of the bag onto the surface of the hot spring. Hoping the scent would linger on her skin if she could not bathe again for a few days, Rin set her bag on the rock near the edge, and pulled off her kimono. Carefully folding it, she set it next to her bag, and finally removed her shoes and under-robe. Sliding into the hot spring, Rin fought the urge to take some of her skin out of the water because the warmth of the water caused her to gasp. Smelling the cherry blossoms as they released their scent into the air, Rin waded to a rock in the middle and found a seat below the water's surface. The seat was a bit high, and she could only sink in as far as the underside of her breasts, but it was good enough. Leaning back against the rock, Rin let her thoughts wander, but they inevitably settled on the events of the afternoon.

Rin might have blushed if her skin wasn't already warm from the hot spring. It had taken a while, but Jaken had finally explained to her how humans made offspring about a year ago. He had grudgingly explained with a disgusted look on his face the whole time. He never explained what the monthly bleeding had to do with anything, though Rin was sure that it had something to do with mating, but she at least knew that Sesshoumaru had been aroused when she had been combing his hair. She had not realized until she thought on it while sitting in the hot spring—when she first felt something growing beneath her, she had been completely stumped as to what was going on, and just reacted. Recalling it now, she felt embarrassed beyond belief that she had been so bold, and tried to sink a little lower in the water. She did realize, though, what this meant...it meant...that she had excited Sesshoumaru, and that thought alone made her heart pound.

She still felt that ache, however, and pushing her secret place against him had scratched the itch slightly. Wondering if it would still work, Rin hesitantly moved her hand between her thighs. She felt a little awkward and embarrassed doing so, but Rin was desperate at this point. Scooting her rear end a little further out and sinking lower, she opened her legs a bit farther and tried to find out what it was that she was aching for. Imagining that it was her master's hand between her thighs, confidently manipulating her body with those long, strong fingers, Rin's mind conjured up a scene in which Sesshoumaru was bent over her and the rock, standing thigh-deep in the warm water between her legs. Rin was a bit amused when she could not imagine him naked. After about a minute of searching, Rin inhaled softly as her finger hit a little bump, almost like a tiny ball, the size of a pearl, hidden underneath a smooth layer of skin. Her legs spread a bit further, and she rubbed the spot harder...

Breathing heavily now, Rin leaned her head back against the rock, closing her eyes, and letting a sigh escape her mouth. The water was very warm, so it only stimulated her faster, making the secret muscles throb slowly. Rin didn't understand why this felt good, but she was glad that it did—because it was somehow helping her.

Hearing a small splash, Rin's eyes shot open, and she pulled her hand away, clamping her legs shut. Sesshoumaru stood knee-deep in the edge of the hot spring, looking at her with an expressionless face. However, Rin could tell that he was breathing a little faster than normal, lips ajar. She would have been embarrassed that she was nude and vulnerable in front of him, but the fact that he was completely naked had thoroughly distracted her. _He's so..._ Rin couldn't describe it to herself. Just looking at him made her feel itchy in that same spot. She didn't realize she had been staring for a long time until Sesshoumaru spoke.

"Does it still ache?"

Rin's mouth went dry as it fell open. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest that it hurt, and blood pounded in her head. Her eyes were automatically drawn to the arousal pointing at her, and she stood up from where she sat, water dripping from her body to the water at her knees. Sesshoumaru's eyes drifted low, and Rin watched his breaths become heavy as he clenched his fists. Rin, ever obedient, answered her master's question.

"Yes."

Sesshoumaru felt his arousal become even tighter at her hesitant words, but he let his eyes roam over her body for a brief moment. She really had become beautiful. T_oned muscles, a flat stomach, long legs, full breasts..._ Unable to stand it anymore, Sesshoumaru began to walk towards her. Rin stood stock-still, unsure of what she should be doing. Hoping that her Sesshoumaru-sama would let her know, she remained in place, heart still thumping loudly against her ribs. She had wanted this, wanted him, ever since that night a year ago. Once she realized that, as a young, healthy human female, she was attracted to her master, in more ways than just physical, Rin wanted to be closer to him. That's when she began to touch him more rather than bring him lopsided bouquets of wild flowers. It's when she began running her fingers through her hair when she knew he was looking, or brushing her fingers down her hip when speaking to him. It's also when she began to sleep with the blanket pushed down to her waist, letting the under-robe work open throughout the night and knowing that at some point when he came to check on her, he certainly got an eyeful of what Rin covered up every morning.

Sesshoumaru stopped about a foot away from her, and Rin was forced to crane her neck back in order to keep eye contact. Then bending slightly, Sesshoumaru slid his arms underneath her shoulders and brought her chest to his, standing up and bringing Rin out of the water. Rin wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she wrapped her legs around his waist, and audibly cried out ever so softly at the feel of his bare skin against hers. Sesshoumaru tightened his arms, pressing the young breasts against his chest. He had desired to hold her like this for several years, even before the night when Rin had sat up from sleep, showing off those tender, buoyant mounds of flesh. His torture only seemed to escalate after, though. Rin, whether unconsciously or not, became more sensual and feminine almost immediately, and Sesshoumaru wondered if he had simply not noticed before.

Sesshoumaru walked them to a deeper part of the hot spring, going far enough to bring the water level up to his chest. Rin had been hiding her face in his neck the whole time, but when he stopped moving, she brought her head up and looked into his eyes. He could tell she was scared, but he could also see that she was already physically excited. He did know, of course, what she had been doing before he made his presence known. He had been tempted to continue hiding himself and watch her from a distance. Wondering what Rin had been fantasizing while pleasuring herself, Sesshoumaru let his feet find better purchase in the rock below the water. His right arm tightened around her back as he moved his left hand down along her side, rubbing her posterior. Rin's mouth opened at that, and Sesshoumaru took the opportunity to kiss her. Sliding his tongue into her mouth, he slanted his mouth over hers again and again, delighted that she was responding, and still squeezing the flesh in his hand.

Kissing Rin, after so many frustrating erections and after so many long nights of unfulfilled lust, was more than enough to make his arousal painful and demanding. Sesshoumaru, as perhaps the strongest demon, was humbled by the power that Rin held over his body. If she ever withheld her favors until she got something she wanted, he knew that he would not be able to deny her heart's desires. Rin was almost breathless when he broke away, and her mouth followed his, silently coaxing him to continue.

Instead, he spoke softly, his voice breathless and rumbling against her chest.

"When I returned, I could smell your arousal. It was...strong, to say the least." His words were aphrodisiacs, and Rin found herself pressing her chest against him. "From now on, Rin...you're only mine," he said fiercely, his eyes burning with possessiveness. Her eyes softened, and though it could have been a trick of the hot springs, her eyes shined with tears.

"S-sesshoumaru-sama...it aches so badly." She was mortified to admit it, but she got the desired result. He brought her hips a bit higher up on his waist, and began to nuzzle the spot just below her ear. Licking it, he kissed his way to the bend of her neck and shoulder, and breathed in her scent. S_he smells so divine—I wish I could saturate myself in it._ She leaned her head to the side slightly, allowing him better access, but gasped when she felt his hand between her legs. He had slid his left hand between their bodies and was teasing the little bump she had found earlier. She shifted slightly so that he could reach more easily, and was rewarded when he rolled the spot between his fingers, bringing a sweet moan out of her. Gripping his shoulders more tightly, she made uncontrollable little hitching noises as pulses of gratifying pleasure followed every movement made by his fingers. He was finding it hard to believe that he was aroused to this extent. He had not had many previous lovers—most were one time only, but he had thought that they were all exciting enough for his attention. Rin, however...with her, he wanted to bring her to a climax at least twice before taking her, but was fighting to keep from slamming his way home inside her warmth right now. Rubbing a bit harder with his thumb, he nearly growled when he heard her cry of surprise.

_I'm so close...just a little more...please..._ As he massaged the sensitive spot and licked her neck, Rin was bursting with things to say. Tightening her arms around his shoulders, she brought her lips close to his ear,

"It feels so _good_."

He did growl at that, and decided to carefully press the tip of his longest finger into her body as his thumb rubbed her pearl. Her thighs began to clench around his waist, and the excited noises she made were making him so stiff and ready for her. The hot water around them audibly shifted as their movements became more frenzied. She clamped her arms around his shoulders, holding tight as her head started to swim. The pleasure seemed to come from her four limbs and converged onto the spot her master was rubbing, and when it finally reached her womanhood, the muscles began to throb and flex as the pleasure spill out of her into the water. She let out a high-pitched groan and felt her master's right arm tighten around her waist.

"S-so good!" she brokenly whispered, happy beyond belief that her Sesshoumaru-sama had done this for her. He knew he wouldn't be able to bring her to another peak before taking her. I_'ll just have to make up for it afterwards._ He withdrew his hand as her grip on his shoulders lessened somewhat. Her legs slowly fell away from his waist, and he turned her slightly, hooking his arm underneath her knees. She looked up at him, and he couldn't describe to himself what her eyes held—it was too many emotions at once.

Pulling on his shoulders, Rin brought her face closer to his, silently begging him for something with those warm brown eyes. Sesshoumaru conceded easily, unable to deny her, and pressed another kiss upon her. _I could kiss her forever._ Her mouth was warm and responded well. She loved the way he languidly thrust his tongue between her lips, taking his time.

Though her sweet-tasting mouth was like a decadent desert to him, he broke the kiss and glanced around in the deeper end to find a rock that he could lean her up against. Finding something suitable off to his left, he waded over to it and reached out his right hand to find the edge of the rock. It sloped perfectly into the water and he set Rin on the edge. Spreading her thighs beneath the water, he glided his hands along the smooth skin, causing her to gasp again and look up at him.

"I'm going to mate with you, Rin. Your first time will hurt, but I'm telling you now that I won't stop. Do you understand?" She nodded and planted her heels on the edge of the rock ledge, which brought her knees out of the water. Seeing her in such a position, he growled softly and placed one hand below the water to grab hold of himself. Shifting his feet a little closer, his other hand found her womanhood and spread the lips apart. Her mouth fell open. A bit of the hot water from the springs was now intimately touching her, but it wasn't long before the tip of his engorged length prodded at her virginal entrance. She felt a pang of fright, scared since this experience was so new to her.

"Rin," Sesshoumaru whispered, almost to himself, but she heard him clearly. It made her relax a little more, and he pushed slowly into her body. She gasped as his member spread her open. He was too big, but she knew that once she had time to recover, their next time would be much better. Now that the tip of his arousal was inside, he put his hands on the ledge, behind her legs. He pushed a bit deeper, and she gripped his forearms. Though he was big, it wasn't painful yet, and she couldn't contain the satisfied sigh that issued from her mouth.

Sesshoumaru wanted to shove into her body, but he also was hoping to bring her to climax despite the fact that it would be her first time mating. He looked into her eyes, holding their gaze as he pushed in another inch. He needed to say more...he knew that he should and was frustrated that his intelligent mind couldn't find the right words. Leaning his head down without moving his lower half, he shared another kiss with Rin, hoping that this conveyed what he wanted to say, but couldn't. Bringing one hand up from the ledge and making a splashing noise as the excess water fell from his hand, he pressed the pad of his thumb against her chin, holding her jaw open. Then tilting his head slightly, he slid his tongue between her lips, slowly and gently pumping it in and out to mimic what his manhood would soon do as well. She very softly groaned, inexplicably aroused by the erotic, suggestive moves of his tongue. Slowly removing his thumb and placing his hand back the ledge, he pumped his tongue a little faster, no longer needing to hold her lower jaw. He brought his mouth away only a breath after another minute of this, opening his eyes to see her dilated pupils staring back at him. Spreading her knees wider, Rin whispered to him again,

"Deeper, master..."

A desperate look came over Sesshoumaru's face, and he pushed in fairly deep, reaching her maidenhead. She took in a shaky breath and moaned sexily, adjusting her grip on his forearms. _I feel so stretched...and it's such a good feeling._ She prepared herself, though, knowing that the pleasure would probably end here. Relaxing her deepest muscles and taking a big breath, she nodded. Sesshoumaru gratefully bucked his hips. Rin... Realizing almost immediately that he was not yet through, his face tightened in frustration. He had tried to end her innocence with one thrust, but had been too gentle. For Rin, the pain wasn't unbearable, but it still hurt pretty badly. Grimacing with regret but also with strain since his instincts were practically shouting that he just begin pumping into her young body, he thrust again. Breaking through, he pushed his hips forward, pressing very hard against her pelvis until he was seated deeply. He groaned gutturally, wondering how Rin was able to make his heart pound this fast.

From the shore of the hot springs, the scene they presented was utterly licentious. A young human girl, innocently pinned against a rock and sitting chest-deep in steamy water, was mating for the first time. Her lover was a powerful dog demon whose long mane of white hair heavily hung from his aristocratic head and floated easily in the mineral-rich water. With her hands gripping his arms and his pelvis between her open silky thighs, the girl was flushed and glistening with steam, having been penetrated deeply until the head of her debaucher's arousal touched the mouth of her womb, and the enigmatic, powerful demon towering over her was practically panting for air, also shimmering with the hot springs' steam.

"Rin, put your legs around me again." She did as she was told, and also braced one hand on the ledge, fighting to keep the tears swimming in her eyes from falling. He leaned close to her and wrapped his free arm around her torso, holding her against his body. Looking up at him, she saw the apology in his gaze, and nodded at him again.

Closing his eyes, he pulled back and pushed in again, moving his arousal in and out of her at a speed that made sweet friction along his length. _So warm..._ He knew that she wasn't liking it, and so sped up his thrusts in order finish as soon as possible. With his eyes closed, he could hear splashes of water as he pumped his hips beneath the surface, and he could also hear her agonized sighs. His heart contracted painfully, knowing that he was causing her such pain. Why did human females have to have such an unnecessary piece of flesh when it will only be torn asunder in adulthood? Rin sighed again, a little longer this time, and the tone sounded different.

"Ohhh, Sesshoumaru-sama," she moaned, surprising her master. He let his eyes open, and was once again surprised to see Rin looking at him, obviously aroused. She bit down on her lower lip, but not in pain. "Master," she whispered, ending the word with a drawn out, sensual groan. _How?_

For Rin, the warm water, filtering into her body with every thrust, had done well to make her feel better. The mineral-rich water had soothed and lubricated the battered skin as well as softened it, making the wonderful, tight slides easier. The sensation was very raw, but still...he was rubbing against that spot again, and she loved how well he filled her. Planting her hands on the ledge, she used the leverage to buck into him, causing her master to growl and shove back.

"Rin...how?" Sesshoumaru asked gruffly, still thrusting intently at her womanhood. She was trying to push back at the right time, a little off, and began breathing just as heavily as her master.

"The water," she answered, hoping it was enough explanation since she was too out of breath to say much else. Sesshoumaru nodded once, pulling out a bit farther than he had been. Rin, now also participating, pulled her hips down a little as well, and his throbbing member slipped from her body. She made a disappointed noise, a little embarrassed, and gasped out a quick 'sorry' while Sesshoumaru used the arm that had been around her body to insert himself again.

"We'll get plenty of chances to practice," Sesshoumaru said, brushing aside her apology. Rubbing the tip of his arousal again the soft lips of her body, he worked them open slowly, deliberately stalling his re-entry. She made a frustrated noise, wiggling her hips a little.

"Please, Sesshoumaru-sama...I want you inside me," she begged, not breathing quite as fast anymore. He wanted to continue teasing her, but his body was no longer able to stand the lure of the explosive release he knew he would find with her. Positioning the tip and flexing his thigh muscles, he slowly sunk into her body, automatically folding his arm around her torso again and holding her close to him.

"You feel good, Rin...warm and tight." Sesshoumaru touched home and swiveled his hips over her, rubbing against the swollen jewel of her body. "Do you like this?" he asked huskily, making small jabs into her muscles. After about a minute, he pulled back farther and pushed in again, rocking her back with each thrust as he rapidly increased the pace. She secured her hands on the ledge and more conservatively met his thrusts, moaning as her head started to swim again. It wasn't long before she tired, though, and it was all she could do to just kept her hips up and clamp her inner muscles around him. He stiffened as a particularly intense throb of pleasure slid up his spine. He could feel it coming...only a few more thrusts. Her little moans soon turned into longer, higher sounds, and she began to quickly crescendo into loud cries.

"It's so hot inside! Sesshoumaru-sama, please!" Rin cried out, letting her head fall back. Pumping faster, his muscles tensed from the build-up, and she could only sit there as he pushed into her tight sheath over and over. He could tell that she was seconds from her climax—her scent was changing. He wasn't sure if there was a better scent in the entire world than Rin. He had always loved it. Even when she first found him, he had noticed how appealing her scent was. She suddenly clamped her arms around his shoulders, feeling a peculiar but not at all uncomfortable build-up rising inside her belly. When the sensations suddenly came at her, she shakily cried into Sesshoumaru's ear, feeling a warm, heavy force throbbing down her womanhood. "Ahhhh! M-master!"

Groaning as her shudders continued, he felt heat shoot up his length and into her. He pressed the tip of his arousal to the mouth of her womb and let his seed fill her, growling as it throbbed out of him. He gasped several times, out of breath and being drained of all his strength. _It has never felt this good with anyone else._ His whole body ached for some reason, which astounded him to no end. _It's as if my body has been tense with need ever since I realized that I wanted Rin for my own._ Feeling a few more pulsations coming on, he tightened his arms around her and pushed a little deeper, convulsing as the throbs traveled down his member. They stayed there for a while, with her legs wrapped around her master's waist. He licked and suckled at her lips as their ardor cooled slightly, his right hand gently squeezing her right breast as his fingers lightly pinched her nipple. Having him treat her body so well, she was more content than she had ever been. She only hoped that he returned her deep affections.

Sesshoumaru leaned back finally, placing his hands on the ledge beneath his mate. Rin let her arms drop away from him as well. Looking exhausted but happy, she gave him a content smile. Sesshoumaru, with his face close to hers and with his phallus still buried inside her body, felt an entirely different kind of warmth spread throughout his chest, as if his heart was also expressing its happiness. He removed himself as gently as he could, watching her for any sign of discomfort. She pinched her bottom lip with her teeth, but otherwise didn't make a sound. She let her legs close, pondering how sore she would feel later. He sat down on the ledge next to her, splashing a bit, and reached over to take hold of her trim sides, pulling her to his lap like he had earlier that afternoon. Though the water hadn't changed temperature, she felt as if it were much cooler than before and smiled up at her master.

"I love you, Sesshoumaru-sama." Sesshoumaru, if anyone else could have seen his face, would be astounded at the emotion it contained. Her eyebrows turned upwards as she looked at him, silently sharing his joy with him. He looked so happy, and closed his eyes to turn his head and nuzzle her temple. Whispering softly, he brought his mouth close to her ear,

"I love you, too, Rin." She felt tears swimming in her eyes as he brought his head up. A lone tear, a hot as the water around them, fell down her cheek, following his clawed fingers as they brushed the soft skin. "Why are you crying, love?" he asked, his voice gruff. He held her closer, overjoyed that he could finally show her the affection that had built up in him for the past decade. Her response was true for the both of them.

"I'm happy, Sesshoumaru-sama. You've made my dreams come true."


	2. Chapter 2

Half an hour later, Sesshoumaru finally worked up the strength to leave the hot springs, although he might have stayed a bit longer. Rin's fingers were starting to prune, and he knew she must have been tired. Humans had a bit of stamina; he had to give them that, but not nearly as much as a demon. At the water's edge, Sesshoumaru pulled a cloth from Rin's bag and dried her off, content to finally be able to touch her the way he wanted. Countless times, he wanted to smooth the hair off of her cheek or place his hands on her luscious hips, but was still at odds with whether or not taking Rin as his mate would jeopardize her or himself. Now that he had decided, Sesshoumaru could feel deep in his soul that he had chosen wisely. Not wishing to cover her up in her kimono again, he wrapped the towel around her torso, thus blocking his eyes from the skin that drove him a little mad. Rin, smiling gently as he put her bag and kimono in her arms, looked up into his heated gaze when he took her chin into his palm.

"Stay here. I'll be back to fetch you." Her master walked off to his pile of clothing further down the shoreline, and Rin couldn't help but admire his body, the muscles gliding underneath his glistening skin. Rin felt the tips of her hair drip water down her back, and shivered, but not from the touch of the cool trails of water. Her heart and soul were shuddering with happiness. _My dreams of always being at his side...are now true._ Rin felt a salty water-drop fall down her cheek and hastily brushed it away, not wanting Sesshoumaru to see her crying again. The breeze seemed to sigh through the trees above her, gently drying her damp hair as it flowed over her. Once he had dressed and tossed the pelt over his shoulder, Sesshoumaru came back to her. He stood close, sliding one hand around her waist while the other traveled low around her upper thigh. He easily picked her up, settling her against him with one arm behind her back and the other underneath her knees.

"You're such a small thing...and you have so much power," Sesshoumaru mused aloud. Rin's face turned to confusion, and Sesshoumaru realized what he almost said. Craning his neck forward, he pressed a small kiss to her forehead and turned away from the hot springs. Rin laid her head against his shoulder and let the comment pass, content to just have him holding her. He walked them back to the campsite, where Jaken had started a small fire and had long ago finished cleaning the meat off of the doe Sesshoumaru had killed.

The little toad was frying some meat over the fire, throwing salt and other spices onto the meat once in a while. Grumbling to himself, he scrambled to his feet when he saw Sesshoumaru returning from the direction of the hot spring, holding the girl in his arms. She seemed to be asleep, and Jaken gulped loudly, wondering if she had fallen asleep in the water. Sesshoumaru would surely punish him for not looking after her. Sesshoumaru, however, barely glanced at Jaken, and set the girl down on the blankets Jaken had laid out earlier. Though Jaken had detested making the girl's bed every night when she was younger, and she pestered him to no end, he was glad enough to see her finally calm down and act civilly to him in the recent years, so he didn't mind nearly so much anymore. He would still feel agitated whenever she stole the master's attention, but after having traveled with her for a decade...well, she was less annoying.

Rin's eyes opened as Sesshoumaru began to lean down to set her on the blankets. She looked up at her master, mouthing a 'thank you' before turning to look at Jaken. Jaken immediately noticed the difference in Rin's eyes...and knew what had happened. Jealous that Rin most definitely out-ranked him now, he grumbled as he tossed more salt onto the meat. A glare from Sesshoumaru, however, quickly shut him up. Rin, smelling the meat's flavor in the air, sighed.

"It smells nice, Jaken-sama." At the compliment from Rin, Jaken frowned, but felt less agitated at her. After all, she was young and female. Jaken always knew that master would eventually take her. It was still bothersome, though, that the time finally had come. Sesshoumaru, having settled Rin, brought the top blanket up to wrap around her shoulders before seating himself gracefully next to her. Rin glanced at Jaken again, seeing the normal grumpy look on his face. He frowned again, but stood up to hand her one of the sticks that had been propped over the fire. The meat was still too warm to eat, and Rin blew on it to cool it off. Rin quietly whispered 'itadakimasu,' a practice that neither Jaken nor Sesshoumaru understood, and bit into the meat.

Though her master did not need to eat, Rin felt odd anyway when she ate in front of him. She would place her hand over her mouth while she chewed, making sure any juice from the meat was off of her lips before removing her hand to bite in again. Jaken, however, felt no such shyness and let the juice dribble down his chin as he ate. They sat in silence, which was quite normal for their group now. Even so, Rin felt the quiet pressing down upon her head, and attempted to lighten the mood, for she was certain that Jaken was mad at her again.

"It's delicious, Jaken-sama. Thank you." Sesshoumaru, upon hearing her voice, suddenly recalled their play in the hot springs. A pair of slick legs around his waist, warm muscles thudding against his fingers, a sexy little voice in his ear..._it feels so good._ Jaken's grumbled answer brought him out of his reverie. However, at the moment, Sesshoumaru was grateful that the pelt over his shoulder was draped onto his lap...he was ready again.

Rin, having finished her meat, was about to get up to help Jaken store the meat for later, but her master's hand on her shoulder stayed her. She glanced at Jaken with an apologetic face, feeling as if she was being lazy now, but Jaken merely shrugged and did it himself. Then taking up the Staff of Heads, he made his way across the clearing, and sat with his back to them against a tree that had to be a good fifty yards away. Blushing hard at what Jaken's body language implied, she looked to see Sesshoumaru looking at her with a specific thought in mind. Rin shakily said,

"I am a bit sore, Sesshoumaru-sama. Is there something I can do for you...I mean, until I feel better...is there?" She was nervous speaking so brazenly in front of him, but did not break eye contact with his heated gaze. Sesshoumaru could only gaze at her in wonder, though his expression did not betray the underlying emotion. _I have to be inside you if I ever spill myself._ Still having trouble telling her this, even after he admitted his love, Sesshoumaru silently berated himself. _I will tell her...my mate is closer to my soul than anything else._ Gathering Rin in his arms, Sesshoumaru laid them down on the blankets, spooned behind her. Using his arm as a pillow, Rin snuggled back into her master's arms. At her ear, she heard him whisper,

"Only inside of you, Rin." Shivering at the way his words made her feel...and what they implied...Rin brought the hand draped over her waist to her breast, holding it there as she closed her eyes. _I want to fall asleep with him touching me..._

"Good night, Sesshoumaru-sama." A tiny squeeze from his hand was her answer, and Rin began to drift off to sleep, exhausted from their lovemaking. Sesshoumaru, not needing sleep, lay there holding his mate, listening to her breaths become slower as sleep took over. He nuzzled the nape of her neck, taking in her sweet scent...

When Rin's eyes opened the next morning, she saw that the fire was out, and was about to start it again when she realized that she was still in Sesshoumaru's arms. Taking stock, she felt the hand that had been on her breast somewhere else...more specifically, it was tucked between her legs, cupping the warm area he had so recently entered. Feeling how possessive he was of her, she blushed with happiness, but opened her thighs to slide his hand out. Sesshoumaru, having never fallen asleep, pressed his fingers against her instead, staying Rin from moving his hand. She stiffened and made a small gasp, whispering his name. He softly said into her ear from where he lay behind her,

"I've been thinking about you all night, Rin. I've been taking in your scent, which is laced with my own. Wondering what I could do to wake you up properly, I decided to give you pleasure without the pain that I caused you last night. So enjoy this, love." Rin was certainly surprised, but didn't know what to say, so she let him do what he pleased. _He can do whatever he wants to me..._ For a long, drawn-out minute, he merely massaged the lips of her sex, rubbing slowly. She was so inexperienced, though, that this simple act was making her heart pound.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she moaned, biting down on her lower lip. Gripping the forearm around her since she wasn't sure where else to put her hands, she felt her face start to flush, and though she tried to not make any noise at all since she didn't know how good Jaken's hearing was, she shakily sighed several times, whispering a softly groaned 'yes' every once in a while. The entire time, he breathed hot air against the sensitive spot behind her ear before licking her lobe, and held her tightly against him with one arm around her chest.

"You warmed up quickly, Rin," he purred in her ear, carefully working her lips open with his occupied hand. His longest finger slid up to the jewel of his mate's body, and he secured the pad of his finger over it, pulling up on it gently in a slow rhythm. After another minute of this, he began to rub his pelvis against her in time to his finger, pushing forward at the right time and pressing her back against him with the heel of his hand. She sighed again, the rhythm and pressure feeling similar to the act they had performed the night before, and it seemed that Sesshoumaru wanted her to flex her hips forward with him. Trying it to see what happened, she flexed forward in time to his pelvis and gasped when it sent a pleasant throb of sensation through her inner muscles. She could feel his arousal against her backside and hear the rustle of the blankets as they moved over them.

A single bird chirped nearby, but it was still a little too early for the birds to wake up. The sun was another half an hour from rising over the horizon, so the treeline was still cloaked in mostly shadow. With nothing else to focus her gaze on as Sesshoumaru manipulated and aroused her body, she opted for closing her eyes and replaying memories of last night. The hand that had been playing with her left for a moment, but only to drape her leg back over his thigh, and he placed his hand where Rin needed it, massaging her lips, and sliding his longest finger up the seam, which elicited breathy noises from his mate. He penetrated her lips again, finding the pearl of nerves and pulling up on it once again, a little faster and a little harder this time. Wanting to bring her to a high peak before they journeyed further that day, he put his mouth close to her ear.

"Does it feel good, Rin?" Biting gently on her lip as a finger carefully squeezed in, she let a moan burst forth once he had had penetrated her down to his middle knuckle.

"Y-yes, master. It...it feels wet and warm. Please...use your...your finger," Rin asked, hesitant and awkward. "Touch me, Sesshoumaru-sama." Her words showed only a fraction of how intensely she wanted his attentions. Only one of her hands now gripped his forearm, and Sesshoumaru could smell and feel how powerfully she was aroused. Her other hand lightly rested on the blanket beneath her, twitching every once in a while. She wanted to squirm against his fingers, but held still since the digit inside her body held a very sharp claw. Allowing himself a small smirk, he slid the finger out somewhat before pushing it back inside as his thumb worked the swollen pearl underneath her skin. Her teeth gritted and she let out a choked sound, her grip on his arm tightening.

"Can you feel them? I love to be inside you," he purred into her ear, earning a loud groan. He nuzzled the spot behind her ear again, knowing it was sensitive as his finger slowly and carefully pushed in and pulled out. His thumb worked well against her, pushing at the right time. "You can buck your hips, love. Move with me..." She tentatively moved her hips forward once, expecting his claw to pierce something, but no pain came, so she flexed her muscles a little harder. He began to follow her, and the rustling noises returned, along with odd sounds that were similar to a licking noise. She realized that it was the sound of his fingers rubbing against her as they moved through the slick fluid of her body, which had begun to seep out onto her thighs. Another few minutes passed, and she began to tire a bit, coming close to her orgasm but not quite getting there.

"S-Sesshoumaru-sama! Please!" she gasped. Sesshoumaru finally relented and withdrew his finger to quickly massage the sensitive area, suckling on the lobe of her ear as the dizzying, heady feeling took over her body. She bucked her hips harder, flexing the leg draped back over her mate's hip, and fought to be quiet, so all that came out was short, high noises.

Her body begin to warm from the inside and her stomach muscles clenched as the throbs of wet pleasure took over her mind, pushing all other senses out. She concentrated on the feel of her muscles pulsating against his fingers, the juice of her climax seeping out. _This feels so right...being here with him, with his hands all over me._ Half-moaning, half-sighing as the sensations ebbed away, Rin's grip on Sesshoumaru's arm relaxed, and she greatly enjoyed the way his fingers continued to massage gently, making the pleasure last a bit longer. She turned her head to kiss him, wanting to show him the passion he had so wonderfully awakened her to this morning. He bent to meet her mouth, almost shocked at the wanton way in which she shoved her tongue inside. After a few moments, he was forced to stop her coy tongue before he passed the point of no return.

Letting her close her legs, he took a few calming breaths to relax his manhood, which was very ready to mate again. Knowing that they should keep going if he were to properly survey his lands, he helped her sit up.

"Dress quickly and eat some of last night's meat. We leave within a quarter of an hour." He then stood up and straightened his clothes, looking down at Rin as she gathered the towel around her body. Rin looked up at him, a little unsure of how to feel now, but on her face was a slight smile and blushing cheeks. Sesshoumaru then left to walk to where Jaken was sitting. Licking his fingers along the way, he fought the urge to smirk again. At the master's approach, Jaken shot to his feet, ready to hear what they would do next. "I will finish sweeping the perimeter by the day after tomorrow, and then return home. Prepare to leave, Jaken." He gave the toady demon a pointed glare, daring him to comment about the latest development between himself and Rin. Jaken gulped around a huge knot in his throat, and stumbled out,

"Understood, Sesshoumaru-sama! At your bidding, master!" Jaken then took a fast waddle back to the dead campfire, looking as if he expected a kick in the butt. Rin, dressed in her kimono once more, smiled haltingly at the servant as he jogged up to her and offered him some of the meat he had put away last night.

"It's still tasty this morning, Jaken-sama. Thank you," Rin complimented. Someone like Jaken knowing about her and Sesshoumaru just made her skin crawl, but she was determined to get along with him. Jaken snatched the bag of meat from her, shoving a rather large piece into his mouth. Chewing on it only a few times, his attempt to swallow got him set to choke to death, but she pounded him on the back a few times to dislodge it. Finishing her meat, she licked her fingers of the juice leftover, and folded the blankets, packing them onto Ah-Un. Then making sure her shoes were properly fastened, she twirled around to smile at her Sesshoumaru-sama, but missed the slight change in his expression.

Happy...Sesshoumaru wanted to tell her he was happy, but the servant was there, too, and he would show his emotions to no one but her.

The day seemed to pass slowly since nothing untoward had happened to their party and since no invading demons were trying to claim part of the master's lands. Around lunchtime, Sesshoumaru stopped them, and she glanced questioningly at him, hoping against hope to have a bit of time alone with him. All she had been able to think about the whole morning was him and the way he made her feel. Sesshoumaru met her gaze, and imperceptibly smirked. Calling to Jaken without looking at him, he commanded dwarf demon to look after the pack animal while he was gone. Then wrapping his fingers around Rin's elbow, he tugged her off the path and into the forest. Smiling wide, she paid no attention to the snort that Jaken gave. Jaken found the nearest tree and flopped down onto a root, crossing his arms huffily. _Pah! Now I have to wait around for them?!_

Sesshoumaru only traveled far enough to be out of Jaken's eyesight, which was easy once the thick forest engulfed them. Rin smiled softly, happy to have her hand within his and to be with him on such a pleasant day. She could smell that a patch of mint was nearby and hear the breeze singing through the trees. Sesshoumaru was all too happy?just being alone with her, now that they had reached a new level in their deepening relationship, was...therapeutic. Scanning his gaze across the expanse of forest in front of them, which didn't afford a very long line-of-sight, he spied a moss-covered boulder, more like a large rock, nestled against the side of a large oak. Tugging Rin along, he made his way towards it, calling back to her when it was necessary to watch her step. Reaching the boulder, he turned and sat down upon it, pulling her onto his lap and securing his arms around her slender waist. They immediately went for each other, lips rubbing and pressing in heated kisses, and hands delicately exploring. She held the side of his jaw, feeling it contract and loosen as he suckled her lower lip. Their mouths made soft, liquid noises, and their heart rates gradually increased, warming their bodies.

Rin was still getting used to their new intimacy. She was a little hesitant and uneasy, not sure of how far her boundaries as his mate went. Though this probably meant the same as being married for humans, she was caught off guard by how...informal their union really was. _Is this all that we need to do?_ Rin hoped that some sort of imminent justice didn't fall down upon her head, such as a God of Dogs that would smite her for not offering a sacrifice before mating herself to Sesshoumaru, or an unknown relative of her master arriving to deal out punishment for not seeking his approval first. She tried not to think about those things. She knew that all she had to worry about was loving Sesshoumaru and showing it to him as much as her heart desired, which was a lot.

Sesshoumaru held Rin a little tighter, letting his left hand rub the outside of her thigh before smoothing it down to the hem of her kimono and finding its way inside. He deepened their kiss, pressing his lips a bit more insistently and brought his hand back up, surveying the texture of the skin along her leg. Her breaths became a bit heavier, the air hissing out through her nostrils as he continued the kiss and rubbed her thigh harder. They continued as such for many long, wonderfully warm and heady moments, looking for places where the other liked to be touched. She wanted to say something, whisper an affectionate endearment or at least say his name, but he was concentrated on her mouth, staying close and gently flicking his tongue inside, even suggestively pumping it between her lips like he had done last night. She eventually had to pull her head away almost by force, and took in some sorely needed breaths of air. He made a small, disappointed noise, surprising her, and he let her have a few more seconds before pulling her mouth to his again with a hand on the back of her head.

"More, Rin..." As he thrust his tongue inside her mouth again, she made a short, high noise and wrapped her right arm over his shoulder. _I can barely breathe, but I just want to keep kissing him._ For another minute, he almost lewdly used his tongue to excite her. He brought his lips away from hers so that they barely touched at all and rapidly plunged his tongue between her lips. Then pressing their lips together again, his mouth all but demanded a response from hers. She felt her lips bruising and swelling, and realized that they had to get back to Jaken soon. Bringing her arm back, she gently pushed his shoulders, and he generally got the hint, lightening his kiss until he could break away with a light peck of his lips. She gasped for air, feeling her heart pound and looking up at his lusty gaze.

"I...I'm still sore, anyway...Sesshoumaru-sama. S-sorry," Rin said, certain that he would be angry for rejecting him when the hard evidence beneath her said that he wanted to mate again. He merely shook his head, landing another quick kiss on her forehead as he withdrew his hand from beneath her kimono. Pushing Rin up to her feet, he watched as she adjusted her clothing and then stood up himself. Sliding his hand down her arm until he found her hand, he wrapped his fingers around her palm and walked forward, pulling her along once again. Picking their way through the forest's undergrowth, they found Ah-Un sitting on its rump near a snoozing Jaken, who was sprawled on the ground, mouth hanging open. She giggled at the sight he made, which made short work of waking up the snoring toad. He eyed her slightly rumpled kimono and ground his teeth together.

_Perhaps someday I'll get used to this new arrangement, but for now...I wish she would stop smiling so much!_ Sesshoumaru glanced at Ah-Un, which brought the creature to its feet immediately. Setting Rin on top of its back, he whispered to her that newly mated women should not walk around all day. She blushed bright red, earning another glare from Jaken, who hadn't overheard, but could guess at to what his master was telling her. Walking ahead, Jaken almost stomped his feet like a child as he strode away, waddling a bit. Sesshoumaru followed, with Ah-Un plodding along obediently.

-_Late afternoon the next day_-

_Pah! It's sickening to look at...simply because she is young and female, that girl now has the master wrapped around her little finger. I have been with Sesshoumaru-sama longer than she has! It's not fair!_ Still quietly fuming and not ready to let go of his grudge just yet, Jaken tossed a small pile of wood onto the ground near the middle of the clearing where they had stopped for the night. They usually only came here once in a while when doing rounds of the master's territory, preferring to keep their path variable. So the last time that they had burned a fire here was barely visible, only distinguished by the shorter blades of grass attempting to grow from the old ashes. Rearranging the wood and adding kindling, Jaken continued grumbling to himself, glancing in the direction where the girl and Sesshoumaru walked off. _She keeps make luvey-duvey faces at him, and he doesn't reprimand her for it, either! If it were me, I'd be disgusted..._ Of course, Jaken had never had a romantic interest in the opposite sex of any species, but he didn't let that little fact change his thinking.

For the past day and a half, Rin rested her body, itching to have him again and feeling all the more naughty for it. Before dinner last night, they had found some privacy in the woods while Jaken prepared the fire, and shared more kisses, their hands becoming a little bolder. During the night, she had rolled over in her sleep to snuggle against his chest, and they had exchanged a long, languid kiss with him that made her practically ache to have him pounding inside her again. When she woke in the morning, Sesshoumaru merely greeted her with a tender kiss before getting her up to travel again. Jaken grumbled the whole way, and she eventually understood that he was angry with her for...well, for becoming Sesshoumaru's lover. She knew that it wasn't the fact that it was her who became his mate, but that Sesshoumaru had one at all?Jaken didn't like to be second best, but Rin decided to tell him sometime that her role in Sesshoumaru's life versus Jaken's role were completely different, and that therefore Jaken wasn't just extra baggage.

Sesshoumaru, while Rin's body healed, took the opportunity to find out what exactly in a kiss Rin liked the most. He could tell that she preferred certain touches, certain words...and he loved her all the more for it. He had always heard that most human females did not take much pleasure, if any, in the act of mating, but Rin obviously took a lot of pleasure in it, and he would be only too happy to give her much more of it. He knew, of course, that Jaken was not happy with the turn of events, but if Jaken ever spoke out against it or insulted Rin beyond their usual quarrels, he would disown him instantly. _I'll let no one turn against her._

After another day of uneventful travel, they had stopped for the night, and Sesshoumaru bid Jaken to prepare a fire as he escorted Rin from the clearing. The sun was beginning to set, and Jaken could tell that it would be a cool night, so he walked off on his own to gather wood. The trees and even the air of the forest seemed to drip a golden color, and Rin looked up at Sesshoumaru as they walked, verifying for herself that his hair was also reflecting the rich color, flashing like a rare blonde as it swung heavily from his head. Looking ahead again, she admired the clean lines of the forest trees, all of which were standing straight and tall since they were so bunched together. Sesshoumaru glanced down at her, already excited since he was planning to take her again. The warm colors of the setting sun had turned the skin on her cheeks to a glistening honey, making it seem that if he liked that soft skin, he would find a sweet taste there.

They walked for about five minutes before he inwardly smiled upon finding the right spot. A fallen tree, long since overgrown with moss, was nestled in a shady area, mostly hidden by the foliage that had sprung up to claim the sunlight let in by the tree's demise. Being tugged along, Rin spotted the fallen tree as Sesshoumaru made his way towards it, and blushed as she realized his intentions. Stopping at the trunk, Sesshoumaru put Rin between himself and the wood, then brought her up to sit on the mossy slope, his hands resting comfortably on her hips. Rin looked at him expectantly, ready to fulfill any whim he was pondering. When her master spoke, the words came out slowly,

"Rin...you..." he paused, mentally kicking himself for being so unsure of himself. _The Lord of the Western Lands does not hesitate!_ "You have made me happier than I have ever been in my entire life." For a few seconds, she had to absorb his words, but her eyes began to water, and she squeezed the forearms in her hands. Beaming up at her Sesshoumaru-sama, she was unable to speak around the lump in her throat. His gaze was intense as he waited to see if she would say anything. Swallowing a couple of times, she finally spoke, softly,

"Sesshoumaru-sama, you've made me happy, too. Very happy." Sesshoumaru, after so many years, finally let himself smile, and she lightly laughed upon seeing it. As her master bent down to hug her, she threw her arms around his neck, squeezing herself as close to him as she could. He leaned up again, pulling Rin off of the trunk, and her feet dangled down to his knees. Never thinking he would find a satisfactory mate, one as satisfying as his Rin, he almost shuddered as he held her against him...almost. Wanting to have her, right now, he gently set her on her feet. The top curve of the trunk was a bit too high off the ground for him to mate with her face to face, but he had a better idea...

He reached down to tug at the belt of her kimono, and she lifted her arms away, allowing him room to pull it free. It took about a minute of work to get the belt off, but he refrained from ripping it off. She held his arms in her hands as he undressed her, heart pounding since her demon lover was about to once again thrust his way inside her body and leave his seed in her safekeeping. He could smell that she was very quickly becoming aroused, and the scent was about to drive him insane. It was a miracle that he removed her obi without tearing some part of it. Her kimono sagged open, and he nearly gasped when he saw that Rin was not wearing her under-robe. Blushing prettily up at him, she didn't say what he already knew. _She had wanted to mate again today ever since she dressed this morning._ Not bothering to push the garment off her shoulders, Sesshoumaru turned her around and pressed her chest down to the top of the trunk, and she could hear him rustling his own clothing. When she felt her master push her kimono way up, she stiffened, already warm and ready for him to penetrate her.

The moss of the tree trunk smelled green and fresh, but the wood itself was just starting to decompose, so it was a little damp, too. The grass beneath her sandaled feet was thick and soft, which afforded a nice cushion as she stood there, leaning over the tree as her master prepared to penetrate her from behind. Sesshoumaru had first mated in this position with his first and most short-lived lover. He remembered being excited, but not nearly as excited as he was now. Gently rubbing his hand over his erection and breathing heavily, he ached to be inside Rin, to stretch and fill her completely.

She shakily sighed as she felt his other hand touch her womanhood, and she heard him gruffly command her to spread her feet farther apart. Doing so, her muscles tensed as one finger glided up the seam of her lips, sliding between them and teasing them apart. Her womanhood moistened and her breathing became more rapid as her heartbeat echoed back to her against the wood of the fallen tree. She then felt the tip of him teasing her from behind as he came to rest his chest against her back. He rested his forearms just outside of her own and whispered close to her ear,

"You smell good...I'm sure you feel just as good, too." She shivered at the tone of his voice, and his arousal pushed in only slightly. She wanted to push back against him, but rather liked having him control things. She was still uncertain of herself when it came to the intimate details, so she was glad for his guidance.

"Please, I want to feel you inside me. Hurry..." Hearing his purr in her ear, she stiffened once again as he confidently sunk into her body, pressing until she felt as if he could stretch her no further. Having hit home, they moaned together, one high and one low.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she brokenly cried out, restlessly moving her back end. One of the forearms next to hers disappeared for a moment, and she felt him spread her legs a bit farther apart. The forearm returned and her master shoved in at least an inch farther at having found wider access. She gasped, disbelieving that she could feel this full. Her body was absolutely loving it, throbbing with boiling blood and easily lubricating the way. She already felt dizzy and realized how erotic their situation must look: her master pinning her to a tree trunk from behind, her legs spread wide and his arousal buried deeply inside her body. She felt as if he had staked a claim on her. For Sesshoumaru, it was heaven to be inside his mate, and he only hoped that he could hold out long enough to bring her to climax because he was certain that he would reach his peak very soon.

"Feels good...very good," he groaned into her ear, his voice low and raspy. She had never heard that particular tone of voice before, and it sent shivers to every limb in her body. As Sesshoumaru bent his head to lave the nape of her neck, his long white hair whispered against her exposed skin, and she gave a very audible moan when he pulled back before squeezing in again.

"Again...I love how it feels, Sesshoumaru-sama," she choked out, barely able to hold her own when he complied, starting a rhythm that had her feeling like heat was pouring out of her skin. Still new, the friction caused by his long, thick length grated sweetly against her sex, and she concentrated on the sensation, longing for the pleasure and heat that mating with her master created. With each push, her body jerked forward from the force of it, and she fisted her hands against the mossy trunk of the fallen tree. A loud groan hissed through her teeth after a particularly hard thrust. Sesshoumaru breathed through a long groan, nearly to his climax and wanting his mate to be there with him. _I can't leave her behind._

"Please, Sesshoumaru-sama. Harder, push harder..." he growled loudly, fighting to keep from climaxing at her sultry words. She felt his hand on her thigh, bringing her leg to the side and up, opening her as far as he could. She had to support the rest of her weight on her left leg, but was hardly distracted by it once she felt her master's cadence of thrusts become harder and faster, pressing against her inner walls so fully that she dropped her forehead onto the trunk and cried out.

"Right there, Rin, come for me," Sesshoumaru whispered into her ear, pounding intently into her body and panting against her neck.

"Y-yes! Oh, master! I?I'm coming, Sesshoumaru-sama!" He lay heavily on her back, but she liked the weight, his heat and her own intermingling as much as their bodies now intermingled, rubbing wetly against each other. His loins tightened, unbelievably aroused by her breathlessly cried words.

"Rin," he growled, feeling her body undulate beneath him.

"Y..._yes_! Sesshoumaru-sama!" She cried out into to the wood under her. Her most powerful climax yet hit her body, and her back arched as her pelvis jerked involuntarily. Scalding sensations shot down her muscles, almost like hot fingers flexing inside her body, which caused pleasure-filled liquid to trickle out and thoroughly coat her master's arousal. The heavy thuds of her inner muscles against his straining length finally let Sesshoumaru know that he could release, and he pushed in to spill his seed deep inside her body, biting his lip even though the moan of a demon in ecstasy managed to escape. Feeling a little droplet of sweat roll down his back, he laid his head against her back, needing a few moments to regain his breath.

"That was nice, Sesshoumaru-sama...very nice," she sighed, wiggling her rear a little. He held her tighter, his breath catching in his throat as another pulse of his seed emptied out of him.

"I enjoyed it as well, love." He pulled back a little and then thrust back in, causing Rin to gasp as his warm pleasure spilled into her body yet again. After another minute, she was aware that her master had let her leg drop back to the ground, and whimpered a little when he pulled out. She heard him adjust his clothing behind her, and then heard him sniff the air. Unsteadily turning around and not bothering to close her kimono, she looked up at her mate, and found him staring at her in disbelief.

"W-what is it, Sesshoumaru-sama?" She continued to look at him confusedly as he reached down to close her kimono, tying the obi neatly. Once he had finished after a couple of minutes of adjustments and smoothing out wrinkles, he said in a low, rough voice,

"You are fertile. We may have conceived a pup just now." Her mouth dropped in surprise at first, but it didn't last long. She smiled in glee and jumped to hug her lover.

"I hope so, Sesshoumaru-sama!" He returned her embrace, turning his head to her neck and inhaling deeply. _Oh yes, she's fertile._ Setting her down on the ground, he wrapped his hand around her elbow again and began the walk back to the campsite. She happily kept pace with him, the smile never leaving her face.

-_The next evening_-

Sesshoumaru was finally finished with his rounds of the western lands. Tomorrow, he would be able to take Rin back to his home, where he hoped to stay for at least three months, watching Rin grow heavy with child. He could not smell a conception yet, but it was still a bit early to think otherwise. The sun was just sinking below the horizon when they stopped near a river, clear but cold. They weren't going to make a fire that night. They were close to the northern border of his lands, and he did not want to attract annoying disturbances while they slept, especially any that would disturb his mate. He took his seat below a cherry tree since the smell reminded him of the girl at the riverbank. Rin, taking a drink from the river, washed her face and hands, then patted them dry with her cloth. She combed through her hair for a few minutes, but paused and looked at the comb, remembering how this small piece of material sparked the new relationship she and Sesshoumaru shared. He inwardly smirked as he watched her, knowing her thoughts all too well. Seeing that she was finishing up, he turned his stare to his servant, and the ugly toad jerked in response. Nodding without needing directions, he waddled away from the pair, going a bit further than he had last night. Sesshoumaru leaned back against a cherry tree and waited for Rin to come to him. She finally jogged up to him, tossing her bag on the ground.

"The water tastes good, and it's cold," she explained, about to sit down next to him. However, he brusquely interrupted her.

"The kimono. Take it off." She paused, mouth ajar, and looked at her master, whose face held a number of different emotions, all subtly-hidden from the untrained eye: kindness, possessiveness, love, and...most obviously, lust. She blushed and stood back up, whispering a small 'yes' as she complied. Watching her for the long minute it took her to untie her obi, he held her gaze, conveying to her that his intentions were exactly what she thought they were. Her heartbeat and breathing increased in tempo, and she felt her face heat up as he stared at her. Finally pulling the obi off of her waist, she heard the rustle of fabric as she placed her folded kimono on top of the bag, though she kept her under-robe on for warmth. He suddenly spoke again just as she took her hand off of the kimono,

"I will mark you tonight. Your soul and body will belong to me, and mine will belong to you. ...I want to fill you with my seed again," he said, a little more gruffly, his voice dropping in pitch. "Your womb is ready for a pup even now." He rumbled out these last words in male pride. As he leaned forward, she had the image in her mind of a maddened canine jumping at her in hunger, but that was bloodlust...a long, long time ago...the canine in front of her now felt sexual lust towards her, and that thought sent a pleasantly warm shiver up her thighs to the center of her body. Sesshoumaru gripped the back of her thighs in his large hands and easily pulled her towards him, poising her over his lap.

Rin had a vague feeling that she was getting grass stains on her under-robe and on her knees, but she didn't particularly care. Setting her hands on his shoulders, she breathlessly waited as he placed his hands on her ribs and slowly brought them up, molding them around the spongy mounds of flesh that he so greatly enjoyed. Squeezing gently, he watched her face in the half-light of the gathering darkness. Her lips were parted invitingly, and he could hear her soft, quick breaths. It wasn't enough, so Sesshoumaru somewhat roughly pulled her robe open, which got a little sound of surprise out of her, and let her breasts bounce free of any confinement. He once again filled his hands, massaging her chest and listening to the small sounds she made from the back of her throat.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she whispered, restlessly flexing her hands over his shoulders. Rin was glad that she had a grip on him because her mate suddenly pitched her backwards. He caught her before she hit the ground, but she clung to him, taken by surprise. Depositing her on the grass, he settled himself between her legs, which automatically wrapped around his torso, locking behind him. Supporting most of his upper body weight on his forearms, he let his mouth hover above hers and teased her with little brushes and darts of his tongue. She could feel the cool grass underneath her back, which sapped some of the heat from her body, but the body above her was more than enough to keep her warm. She loved his teasing. It was as if her body burned slowly rather than burst into flames.

"Let me in, love," he whispered to her lips, squeezing his hand between their bodies. Rin loosened her hold around his waist, and felt his hand slip down between her thighs. He quickly found what he was looking for, and pressed the pad of his longest finger against the pearl of her body, rolling it around in circles. She gasped in a high voice, tightening her hands on his shoulders. Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru dipped his head down to her exposed chest and took the right peak between his lips, drawing upon it as he hollowed his cheeks over her breast. _She tastes so good, every bit of her._ His heart was pounding; this was an important ceremony, and he wanted to please Rin now since he had to hurt her later, but just knowing that she would soon be forever bound to him, and he to her, filled him with an indescribable emotion.

Rin felt overwhelmed. With his hand working hard between her legs and his wet mouth suckling tenderly on the sensitive tips of her breasts, her entire body hummed with warm arousal, convulsing with each shock of excitation that his mouth and hands produced. Her thighs contracted as she pushed against his massaging hand, and he growled in delight when the bucking rubbed against his groin, producing a hard response. Her mouth was open, her eyes shut tight, as the warmth pooled down into her lower abdomen.

"S-Sesshoumaru-sama...yes, right there," she sighed, hearing the same licking noise again that she had heard the other morning. He released her right breast and leaned to her left, now paying it as much attention as the other one had received. She felt like cotton was being stuffed into her ears. The sound of the breeze overhead and the trickling of the creek behind her began to fade. The wonderful sensations stopped, though, and she pulled herself out of her trance, opening her eyes as Sesshoumaru looked down at her. He was loosening his hakama, panting for air above her and then groaning as he released himself. he stroked his pulsating member a few times before guiding it to her body, working it between the damp folds of flesh and pressing it forward. He never was generous with words, but...whenever he saw Rin, he felt so much love that he could only show it in its most intense form by making love to her...over and over again.

"Let me in," he whispered again, almost to himself. Her heart was now in her throat. When her master mated with her, he was always so serious about it, pulling Rin along with his powerful emotions and sinking her body into an abyss of scalding orgasms. It was so again now, as he pressed the tip of his arousal past the first group of tight muscles, and she only wanted him deeper...

"It's so tight," she achingly sighed, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He clenched his teeth, shutting his eyes to the face below him, which was filled with ecstasy. Watching her was too much; it only made him more excited and he wanted to wait for her climax. _I always want to see her go first._ He pushed his pelvis forward, sinking into her body, which was almost too tight to take him. She made an erotic noise from the back of her throat, and he moaned in satisfaction, loving the warm, constrictive fit. He began a slow rhythm, and she could almost hear the drums in her head, taking the same tempo. After perhaps a minute, maybe two, he stopped and rolled his hips, eliciting a hiss from his lover, who clung to him even tighter. Then shifting his knees to a new position, he began again, pressing deeper into her body and going at a faster pace. She rocked back with him, sighing with every other thrust.

"Should I come for you again?" Rin whispered shakily, remembering what her master had softly said into her ear yesterday. Sesshoumaru purred, going a little faster. She clenched her stomach muscles, knowing that this somehow made the churning sensations more acute. Her master grunted above her, attempting to hold himself back since she had just tightened around him and made the friction of his thrusts that much stronger.

"Yes...come for me again," Sesshoumaru hoarsely said, harshly breathing near her left ear. He didn't know how much longer he could hold out. It frustrated him, especially since he was supposed to be one of the strongest living beings in the world, if not the strongest. _Can't I stop myself from climaxing until my human mate reaches her own?_ The truth was something he didn't want to admit, not even to himself: that Rin had so much control over him and his body that not even his demon strength could help him when it came to making love to her.

"Aaah, Sesshoumaru-sama," she achingly sighed. Her body was practically singing. It vibrated and hummed, throbbing with heat as her heart pounded steadily inside her chest. Sesshoumaru paused again, rolling his hips. He pulled back somewhat and changed the angle of his hips, then slowly pushed inside again. Regaining his earlier pace, he tucked his nose against her neck, rocking back with her. To get his mind off of the feel of her body and the way she smelled, he thought about the marking ceremony instead. They had started it already. Once he had chosen his mate, he could perform the ceremony at any time, but it had to be right after they made love. After the female and male had reached their climaxes, the male had to give the female his personal seal while still inside her, symbolic of their everlasting union. He groaned, realizing that this wasn't helping. Gritting his teeth, he pumped his hips faster.

"Oh, God! _Yes!_ I'm coming for you...Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin gasped, clamping her thighs around his waist. He felt relief swell in his chest...because he was down to the last of his strength. "I'm coming, I'm coming," she cried out, bucking her hips up hard against him. He groaned, thrusting as quickly into her body as he could and losing his grip on reality.

"Master!" she screamed, shoving her hips up and clamping her inner muscles around him. He felt her shudder beneath him, and he was surprised how strong the muscle contractions around him were. He didn't have long to ponder it, though, for he suddenly stilled and became rigid, growling loudly as a searing heat shot up his phallus, taking him by surprise and almost blacking out his vision with its intensity. He gasped for air, laying heavily on her as they both lived through the pleasure.

It was long, wonderful moment as they listened to their own labored breaths, and languidly shifted their bodies over and around each other. He only waited until he had the strength to pull her up again, but he had to admit to himself that he was stalling after the first minute, wanting to feel her soft body beneath him for just a little longer. Rin, herself, was in blissful abandon, wondering when Sesshoumaru would perform this marking ceremony. She couldn't wait, even though she knew hardly more than a few snippets of details. After hearing his animal-like...dare she say dog-like growl...she was strangely proud when he collapsed over her, sucking in air as if he hadn't had any for a year. She was starting to notice, however, that his body was getting heavy, and making it hard for her to breathe. Just as she was about to say something, though, he lifted his chest off of hers, and pulled her with him as he hauled the two of them back to their original position. She stared at him in expectation, still breathing raggedly. She saw him swallow, his Adam's apple bobbing, and he gathered her closer.

"Rin, I must mark you now. It will sting for a couple of days." Rin paused for a few seconds, caught off guard by 'sting,' but she wanted him too badly to care what the marking ceremony entailed. She nodded, watching his teeth and hands and wondering what he was going to do. His right hand came up and she felt three claws resting against the nape of her neck. Now knowing what was in store for her, her back stiffened, and she vaguely thought to herself that this might have been a little more comfortable to live through if her master weren't still inside her belly. Warning her to hold still, he then pulled his hand down to the small of her back. She made a hissing sound, gripping his shoulders hard, and three red welts appeared on her spine. Rin looked to be in obvious discomfort, but Sesshoumaru cupped her face in his hands and made her look at him. The tears were there in her eyes, but they didn't fall, and she smiled beautifully.

"Am I yours now? Until the day I die?" She set her fingers over the hands cupping her face, glad to feel the sting of the claw marks lessening somewhat. He dropped a quick kiss to her mouth, which helped to some extent to distract her from the pain. Pulling back, he reassured her,

"You're mine forever, Rin. Your soul will now return to me, even after you have died and been reborn. We'll always be together, mate." Sniffing the air again to make sure, he caressed her cheeks with his thumbs. His voice was rough, but she heard him all the same,

"And you have also conceived, my love. You are pregnant with our first pup." He saw her eyes change, softening a bit as her cheeks rose a little, and she sniffed as a tear fell freely. She had thought she would be able to keep from crying when he had marked her, but upon hearing that she was with child, the tears rolled down her face, only to be smoothed away by her master. Gingerly pulling himself out of her, he helped her to her feet and walked her to the river, where he cupped the water in one hand and let it dribble down the welts in her back. After a few minutes, he pulled the undergarments back over her skin, and Rin didn't feel anything too unbearable since the silk did not chafe that badly against the claw marks. They made their way back to the cherry tree, and Rin, sitting with her left side pressed to his chest, closed her eyes as she relaxed against her Sesshoumaru-sama. Before falling asleep, though, she sleepily asked,

"Even if I'm pregnant, we can still mate for a while, can't we?" Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrow at no one in particular and his eyes held an amused shimmer.

"Yes, Rin...we certainly can." Hearing her mumble the word 'good' before she dozed off, he couldn't help but smirk once in a while for the rest of the night.


	3. Chapter 3

When Rin woke up the next morning, she moved her head to the right slightly in order to stretch her neck muscles, and her cheek came in contact with soft fur. Through half-lidded eyes, she saw that Jaken was still down the shore from them, removing some food from the bags on Ah-Un. Turning to look at what was brushing her cheek, she smiled faintly to see Sesshoumaru's pelt pulled up around her body. She leaned her head back against his upper arm, looking up into his eyes.

"Good morning, Rin," he purred in a low tone. She smiled softly, whispering a reply. The air smelled clean and fresh, so she took in a deep breath, filling her lungs. The movement was very slight, but she felt a small twang of discomfort. Remembering that she had three unsightly wounds on her back, she wondered what they must look like now. _I just hope they're not infected._ Hearing the shifting of fabric as Sesshoumaru lifted his arm, she watched his eyes as he laid the pads of his fingers against her cheek, and lightly brushed his thumb over her lips. His eyebrows twitched. She didn't really notice, though, because her eyelids still felt as heavy as boulders, and they sagged shut. Taking another deeper breath, she said,

"Today is the last day, right, Sesshoumaru-sama? Then we can go home again." She had just finished her sentence when she felt her master's lips brush against hers. A bit surprised, she opened her eyes and made a small gasp, which opened her mouth, and he immediately slipped his tongue inside. She made a small noise and let her eyes drift shut again. The kiss was slow, almost tender, and she felt her heart clench in her chest. She felt like she had been given an enormous gift. Just thinking about the ceremony they had performed last night, which forever fused their souls together, she felt a giddy sensation spreading in her stomach. Sesshoumaru, having held her against him all night, waited for the moment when she would begin to show signs of waking. He had pondered all night how to get Rin thinking about him the way he thought about her—knowing it would help with the Sealing Ritual that took place after the marking ceremony. The Sealing Ritual was more complicated and vague than the marking ceremony. The Sealing Ritual required that the female, already marked by the male, and the male, having given the female his personal mark, must spend a lot of time fostering the new union. The 'fostering' part was something that many who performed the marking ceremony did not bring to fruition. _I'll make it work._

Pulling his head away, Sesshoumaru looked through a fog of lust at Rin, who gazed at him with need, and he sniffed the air, smelling her arousal. Pushing the pelt down only a little, he pulled aside the cloth over her chest. She inhaled beneath his watchful eyes, a little self-conscious and now a little bit cold. He watched his index finger and thumb pinch her nipple, which slowly became pert and rosy as he fondled her for a long minute. She wanted to squirm, but her back was too sore to allow for much movement. Bending his head, he laved his tongue over her nipple, and then flicked it a few times. She sighed, only slightly gratified. Her right hand found the back of his head, and she splayed her fingers through the glossiness of his hair.

"I l-love it when you do that, Sesshoumaru-sama," she breathed out, trying to be quiet so that Jaken wouldn't overhear, though if he only turned around, he would probably be able to guess what his master was doing. Breathing warm air over the distended nipple, he flicked it a few more times before bringing his head up to look at her face. Her hand was still on the back of his head, and she pouted a bit as she opened her eyes to look at him. Closing her undergarments with one hand, he only whispered,

"I shall keep you ready all day." She wasn't quite sure what he meant, and moaned in disappointment. Telling her that it was time for them to leave, he very carefully helped her stand, watching her expressions as her abused back pricked her for every wrong move. Once she was on her feet and in her sandals, he placed her kimono and bag in her arms again. He then turned her towards the river and patted her rump in dismissal. Rin obediently walked away, but glanced back once with puppy eyes as she went. Sesshoumaru winked at her and turned to put on his armor. After he finished, he walked towards Jaken, who finally turned away from the river upon hearing Sesshoumaru's approach. Having been careful not to see anything he shouldn't, Jaken bowed dutifully. Sesshoumaru stated the direction he wanted to take that day, and Jaken pulled Ah-Un to its feet. Within five minutes, Rin gingerly walked over to them, and Sesshoumaru couldn't help but notice that her obi was looser, most likely because it hurt her back too much to have it tighter.

"Good morning, Jaken-sama! Did you sleep well?" Jaken, seeing the expressionless gaze of his master thrown at him askance, shrugged and mumbled that he had. _At least I didn't hear anything_, he thought petulantly. Rin smiled pleasantly at the toad, though she felt as if she wanted to dive into the cold river water. The ache between her legs was going away, but she had to mask her discomfort. Though her back was sore, a certain part of her was even sorer, and it longed to have her master there again, pushing his way inside. She was determined not to let him get away with teasing her, though. _Well, I'll at least try not to let him get away with it._

Sesshoumaru put his hands around her waist from behind, suddenly reminding her body of what it wanted, but he only set her on Ah-Un's back, and she grew a bit heated. _My body must have a will of its own._ Finding a path going in the direction Sesshoumaru desired, Jaken led the way as Sesshoumaru patrolled his lands.

Not much happened for the first hour except for a funny moment when Jaken tripped over a loose stone on the path and fell down. Rin tried her hardest, but she laughed anyway, snickering behind her hands as she attempted to hide the obvious fact that she found the scene amusing. Sesshoumaru paused for a couple of seconds, looking about the area, but then continued on, not turning around. Rin wondered if he did it because he didn't care that Jaken fell down, or if he believed that Jaken would find it less embarrassing if Sesshoumaru didn't seem to notice. Either way, the moment passed and they went with their trek as usual. After the first hour, Sesshoumaru stopped suddenly, surprising Rin since she was close to nodding off. He told Jaken that she needed a quick break, explaining the need in one short and curt sentence by saying that Rin was pregnant. Rin herself was confused, wondering why she needed a break, and Sesshoumaru, if he hadn't such control over his emotions, might have grinned evilly, though, for it was only an excuse. Jaken, floored by the news and gawking as Sesshoumaru tugged her away, could only make choked sounds instead of sentences, or even single words. Going only as far as to be out of earshot, Sesshoumaru stopped her next to a large rock, not quite worthy of the term 'boulder.'

"Sesshoumaru-sama, do I need a break? I don't recall mother ever saying that pregnant girls in our village had to—" she said, being interrupted by a finger on her lips. She felt her heart jump a tad inside her chest. Using the same hand to cup her jaw and open it, he slowly leaned down and landed a kiss on her startled mouth. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she decided to assume that the break was to appease his want for some privacy. When he set his hands on her shoulders, she realized her hands were clasped together in front of her chest like a timid maid. Pulling her hands apart and bringing them around his waist to unite behind his back, she stood close and very willingly let his pillaging continue. Sesshoumaru could feel a long lock of his hair sliding forward over his shoulder, slowly falling as he leaned over her. It eventually slid over his shoulder and landed on her shoulder, grazing her neck. Knowing that they had to be back to the path within a few moments if they were to complete their journey by the end of the day, he lowered his hands, permitting them to slide over her chest and down her stomach.

"Hold onto me," he whispered against her lips. She brought her hands up and gripped his arms. His left hand followed the line of her side and then roamed down her backside before dropping even further. His lips briefly left hers as he bent his knees and brought his left hand down to her ankle. Sliding it back up underneath her clothing, he gripped the back of her knee and lifted as he stood back up. Rin gasped and tightened her hold on his arms. Sesshoumaru brought his leg up as well and set his foot on the rock next to them, hooking her knee over his thigh. Rin was confused, wondering how far he planned to go with this since there was now a considerably large gap in the front of her kimono. _Don't we have to get back in a few minutes?_ His right hand then drifted underneath her arm and appeared again behind her, coming up to hold her shoulder. His left hand easily slipped inside her kimono, and she stiffened, gasping again as he very intimately touched her.

"S...Sesshoumaru-sama..." she softly said, almost afraid that if she were too loud, someone would find them in this awkward position.

"Just for a little bit," he replied, speaking just as softly. Rin made a faint, shaky sound, gripping his arms tightly. He pressed the pads of his two longest fingers against her body and worked them slowly into her flesh until they found the tiny jewel hiding inside. He rubbed slowly at first, looking down at her as she gritted her teeth and shut her eyes. All of Sesshoumaru's senses were working—his nose sniffed for her scent of arousal, his fingers massaged her button of nerves, his eyes watched her facial expressions, and his ears listened to the tiny sounds of desperation that squeezed through her clenched teeth. She let out another long moan and leaned her forehead against the soft pelt draped over his shoulder. She loved the build-up...whether it was fast or slow, just being with Sesshoumaru and having his hands on her was bliss that she wished she had found earlier.

They stood there for a couple of minutes, and she was quickly finding herself closer and closer to climax. The sounds of birds chirping around them flitted to her ears, and she pressed her forehead farther into the large tuft of fur. Her left leg eventually began to heat up with overexertion, unused to supporting so much of her weight. She attempted to shift her leg back a bit, using her stomach muscles to do so, and inhaled sharply as the movement intensified the churning heat in her loins. Pressing her hips forward again, she got the same effect and sighed. Sesshoumaru could tell that she was getting much closer now that she had begun to work her abdominals. _Just a little longer..._

"Uhhhh..." she softly moaned, mostly muffled because her face was hidden against his chest. Sesshoumaru tried to keep his hand in place as she more eagerly pumped her pelvis, breathing heavily, but his fingers did slip a couple of times, earning disappointed noises from his mate, who only begged him to keep touching her. He had hoped to come away from this instance without becoming aroused himself, but he realized that he should have known better. Rin could hear her own heartbeat inside her head and slowly became conscious of Sesshoumaru's hardening member, which brushed against her stomach. She wasn't tall enough to simply move her hips against it, but pondered reaching down with her right hand and touching him the way he was touching her.

"Rin...are you thinking of me?" he hoarsely whispered, feeling his manhood filling with blood as he reached full arousal.

"Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama," she breathlessly replied. She began bucking her hips forward, pulling in air as fast as her lungs could. "My mind is filled with you..." Her voice was starting to shake, but not from the sexual tension. _All I think of is you...ever since I realized how much I loved you._ Sesshoumaru wondered if Rin was beginning to tire. Deeming it time, he withdrew his hand from between her thighs and pulled her leg off of his, setting it on the ground as he took a couple of steps back. Rin stumbled a bit, losing her grip on his arms when he pulled them away. The confusion on her face was immense. It was one of the most difficult things Sesshoumaru had yet lived through—because she practically exuded sex and obviously wanted him back, her face showing lust and a good amount of bewilderment.

"W-...why? Sesshoumaru-sama?" She stepped forward once, not caring that her kimono still hung open enough to show her thighs. Sesshoumaru swallowed, seeing the moisture of her arousal seeping down her left thigh. He stepped forward again, and she thought to herself that he was going to finish what he had started, but he merely pulled her kimono shut and began to tighten the obi. Rin stared at him throughout the process, not understanding and feeling rejected. She didn't know what he was up to, and though she trusted him, it still hurt. Backing up, she finished with her obi by herself, head down and confused. Sesshoumaru wished he could find another way to go about the Sealing Ritual, but it was the only method he had learned from his father. Once she had finished straightening her clothing, Sesshoumaru was glad to note that his own body had calmed down. She turned to walk back towards Jaken, softly muttering to herself as if working out a problem. He easily matched her strides and grasped her wrist in his fingers. Rin, a little angry with him but unable to find the conviction to show it, only made a futile effort to get her wrist back, but he held on.

Arriving at the path again, overgrown as it was, she found Jaken and the pack animal waiting. Seeing the slightly sour look on Rin's face somehow frightened Jaken more than seeing the master smile. _What does this mean?_ Jaken, terrified beyond comprehension, set his short legs to walking again, hoping that whatever problem Rin and the master were having did not affect him. Sesshoumaru gently set her on top of Ah-Un, careful not to jostle her too much. She pouted at him, hoping he might give her some explanation, but he merely turned away and began leading their party as Ah-Un lumbered behind him.

It happened the same throughout the day: every three hours or so, Sesshoumaru stopped their odd caravan and pulled Rin off into a bit of seclusion. He varied his methods, sometimes just kissing her until her heart was ready to pound a hole through her ribs. Rin loved it and hated it. It felt good to be teased; it was exciting and erotic, but it was torment when he pulled away when she was close to orgasm. The fourth time Sesshoumaru stopped their caravan, Jaken grumbled about the annoying habits of pregnant human females as he once again plopped down on the ground, clutching the Staff of Heads as if he were choking it. Rin, as she stumbled along behind her Sesshoumaru-sama, held a blanket that he had put in her arms. Coming to a small clearing, the sun still barely over the top of the trees, he took the blanket from her arms and spread it out. He looked up into perfect clear blue sky and inhaled deeply, filling his lungs. Turning his head to look at her, he saw Rin look at him with a mixture of exhilaration and trepidation. He reached for her, purring softly, and slid his palms up the outsides of her arms. Rin didn't move away from him, but didn't come any closer, either.

"S-sesshoumaru-sama...I don't think I can stand your teasing much longer. It aches so much, even worse than when you first found me in the hot springs. I-I just—" She was hushed by the light pressure of his fingers on her lips, and Sesshoumaru pressed his own lips to the hollow of her right cheek before whispering,

"No more teasing, Rin. I will take you now." Her eyes closed as her womanhood responded without needing his touch at all. It grew warm and achy, gently throbbing with the blood that was pooling there and pounding through her veins. She heard him hiss, and his resonating voice continued, "You're ready even now. Undress and I will take away the ache." He then pulled back and stepped a few feet away, watching her glazed eyes as he confidently removed his clothing. Rin, not wanting to wait and yet needing to prolong the final climb, tugged at the obi of her kimono, taking her time with it as she unmade the folds and tucks that kept it in place. She licked her dry lips and noticed the pounding of her racing heart. Sesshoumaru dropped his armor to the ground, which thudded against the grass. Pulling the belt that held his hakama closed, Sesshoumaru pushed them past the stiff length that protruded from his pelvis, and his hakama fell to the ground from there. Rin moved her hands faster, hoping to get the obi off quickly since her body was a little more eager than she thought. He watched as her gaze dropped down to his exposed lower half before she shyly looked away. Smirking in spite of himself, he continued with his haori, letting it fall off of his broad shoulders to the ground.

Rin finally removed her obi and almost threw it to the ground, amusing Sesshoumaru somewhat as he waited for her, already nude. Knowing that she was entirely unable to prevent him from effectively teasing her, she wished she had been more assertive. She knew she could have pulled away every time he began his intimate caresses alone in the forest, or even insisted that she didn't need a break whenever he stopped, but down in her heart, she loved him so much that every one of his touches was precious to her, and she would never pass it up. Lifting her eyes to his face, she held eye contact with her mate as she slipped her hand inside the fold of her under-robe to stroke her left breast, and her knees weakened due to the look on his face. His mouth fell open, and his eyes seemed to get misty and dark. Rin's gaze slid down his body and paused at the one thing she wanted inside of her own body the most. It seemed to swell a bit more as she fondled herself, staring at him.

"R—...Rin." Unable to form any other words, Sesshoumaru took a step towards her. Tilting her head back slightly, she pushed her under-robe off her shoulders and let it join her kimono on the grass. Then stepping to the side, she sat down on the blanket and lay back. With Sesshoumaru standing directly in front of her, she slowly spread her thighs, knees in the air. Opened wide for him, she watched him growl, his length swelling to its fullest. He fell to his knees, slipping his arms under her knees and letting them settle in the crooks of his arms. Then holding her wide open, he planted his hands to either side of her waist so that her feet were in the air and her knees were close to the ground. Rin, having not been in the position before, gasped a little, both in surprise and in pain since the action pulled the skin on her back and rubbed it against the cloth beneath her. She held the only thing she could and clutched at his wrists.

Sesshoumaru, his mind too fogged with lust to think about much else besides their surroundings and being inside Rin, didn't process her gasp and so continued to hold her there. Placing his hips at the right angle, he pressed the tip of his member a small way into her body, letting it work past her lips and the first group of muscles until the head had penetrated. Rin took a couple of calming breaths, thankful that the initial pain was quickly receding as her skin adjusted to her new position. Looking down into her eyes, he pressed in slowly and listened as she let out a loud, breathy groan.

"Yes...I've wanted you inside me all day," she said, closing her eyes to let her senses concentrate on what she was feeling. Sesshoumaru took a few heartbeats to catch his breath and adjusted the angle of his pelvis. He put himself even deeper into her body, bucking forward with his thigh muscles. Her mouth burst open, letting out a cry. "Uhhh! Sesshoumaru-sama, make love to me..._please_," she fitfully sighed. Rolling his hips as he pushed into her, Sesshoumaru set a fast pace. She looked up at the unmasked expression on his face, which was framed by a curtain of silver hair, and felt the sensation she had craved all day beginning to climb down her body, close to reaching a peak. However, something else was trailing along with that sensation. It was warm and filling, like she was being swallowed up by love personified.

"M-master...it feels so good. Please, don't stop." Sesshoumaru adjusted the angle of his hips again and pushed in hard, pumping deep. Rin made a long, high moan, and her voice shook every second or so as her body was jerked backward underneath the power of Sesshoumaru's driving hips. He could her the light slap of skin against skin and kept his current pace, seeing that she was starting to stiffen as her climax neared. He took a few seconds to look down between their bodies and watch himself entering her over and over again, finding the sight to be mesmerizing.

"I can't stop now, love...just feel me inside you...R-Rin," he panted, feeling the heat crawling up his length slowly but fiercely.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin clamped her fingers around his wrists, needing something to grip as the wonderfully searing fingers of orgasm began working their way inside her body. "I...I think I'm _dying_!" Every muscle in Rin's body tensed up, and she saw gray at the edges of her vision, dizzy from all the blood flowing fast through her veins. Every inch of her skin tingled and she felt a small gush of liquid push its way out, her inner muscles flexing and thudding around her mate's flesh, which he had left entrenched inside her warm depths. Rin cried out, her voice high and shaky, and Sesshoumaru groaned low, his seed spilling into her.

"Right there, love..." he gruffly said. He also felt the same warm and filling sensation. It flooded his body as fast as his essence shot out. Every muscle stood at attention on his perspiring back, which made a few of the locks of his hair stick to his skin. He could just imagine the way they looked right now, just as he could see the ecstasy on Rin's face. She was beautiful. Letting her feet touch the ground again, he braced his weight on his forearms and touched his chest to hers, laying his head on her shoulder as she brought her hands up to grip his biceps. It was a long moment before her climax finally faded, and Sesshoumaru nuzzled her neck, enjoying the reassurance he felt as he picked up the scent of his pup forming inside her belly.

"Do you feel better now?" His chest had rumbled as he spoke, and she licked her lips in order to answer him.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama, but if you do that again, I don't think my body can handle it. I feel so tired...I feel really good, but tired." He chuckled, a sound she was surprised to hear, and she hugged him closer to her.

"It almost was too much for me as well. You're so responsive. Many times today, I had to stop myself from throwing you onto your hands and knees right there. I didn't want to get too rough with you, especially since you're in a delicate state now." Rin reveled in every word, exhilarated that he spoke that many sentences to her in a row. He was so taciturn, after all. Running her hands through his hair and petting behind his ears, she replied,

"A little roughness is okay." Sesshoumaru smiled against her neck.

"I'll have to remember that," he growled, giving her neck a small lick. Rin pulled his mane of hair off of his back and scittered her nails along his sides, not yet wanting him to take his body from between her thighs just yet.

"Why did you do this today? I didn't understand, Sesshoumaru-sama." He didn't answer for a couple of seconds, but he did rise up onto his forearms, letting his face hover a few inches over hers. He looked down at her artistically sculpted features, wondering why he hadn't taken her for his own a year ago, when her body had just ripened.

"After the marking ceremony, our minds and souls must foster the new union, and in order to keep your thoughts on me the whole of today, I kept your body wanting me. It was the only method I had learned." He expected her to frown at him just then, but she smiled instead, making his eyebrows pinch together in confusion.

"But Sesshoumaru-sama, even if you hadn't...even before we first made love and confessed to each other in the hot springs, I thought about you almost constantly. I wanted you so badly," she confessed, squeezing her thighs against his hips. "I wanted your love, your heart and soul...and of course," she smiled, "I wanted your body as well—most definitely that." She let lightly scraped her nails over his back. "My way of thinking would not change so quickly, master. I still think about you constantly." His mouth slowly fell open during her confession, and her words of loyalty and love filled his heart.

Pulling out of her body, he leaned back, helping her to sit up. Wincing as she did so, his eyebrows came together in concern and he leaned forward to check her back. The chafing of their movements on the blanket had irritated the welts in her back, and his jaw tightened. _I shouldn't have been so rough. Those will need to be washed when we stop tonight._ He took hold of her hands, pulling her to her feet, and then proceeded to dress her in order to keep her from pulling too much on the skin on her back. She stepped off the blanket and watched him dress, her face coloring a bit as she eyed his hind end. Though she had every right to ogle him as much as she wanted, she still felt a bit wanton and awkward doing so, and thus averted her eyes, but kept the image in her mind. It took him longer to dress than to undress, and she was yawning by the time he had finished. He pulled the blanket off the ground, bunched it into a ball and put it in her arms. Then sliding her kimono up her legs a bit before gripping the backs of her thighs, he lifted her up in his arms. She put one arm around her master's neck and laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as he walked back to where Jaken waited.

Jaken was sleeping again, snoring loudly as he leaned up against a tree. Ah-Un was in a similar state, its two heads bobbing up and down as it fought sleep. Hearing footsteps, Ah-Un came to attention and slowly got to its feet. Setting Rin on its back, Sesshoumaru gently leaned her onto one of the pack animals' necks, seeing that she was sleepy from all the physical activity she had endured that day. Unable to help himself, he smoothed the backs of his fingers down her silky cheek. Turning to where Jaken sat drooling, he called his minon's name, but kept his voice low enough to not disturb Rin. Jaken squawked and fell over before scrambling around to stand in front of the master.

"We have two more hours to go. Rin won't need any more stops, but find a place that has cool water, Jaken. Go." The ugly little toad bowed low enough to cause his hat to tumble off his head. Snatching it up, he ran ahead, his squat little body waddling away. Sesshoumaru followed at a slower pace with Ah-Un clomping along behind him.

-_Sunset_-

Rin was aware of Sesshoumaru's hands pulling her into his arms when she began to come awake again, and was grateful that he took care not to unnecessarily touch the wounds on her back. She was too tired to place her arm around his neck, but vaguely thought to herself that he wouldn't drop her anyway. Inhaling his scent as he walked them somewhere, she almost fell asleep again. When he stopped walking, she heard him softly grumble her name, and he nuzzled her temple. She pulled herself out of the fog of sleep to open her eyes and look around. They were at the bank of a small creek, which ran down a rocky, tree-choked hill. Judging by the light, the sun had set about fifteen minutes before they had stopped, and she mumbled that she was ready for bed.

"Rin, I must wash your back to prevent infection. Your human body needs the cleansing." She nodded against his collarbone and felt him lower her to the ground. Propping her up as he took a knee, Sesshoumaru loosened her obi, watching to see if she was still awake, and pushed down the shoulders of her kimono, trying to not pay attention to the soft skin or the breasts he had exposed. After having made love to Rin at a steady pace for the past two days, he knew he couldn't impose on her now, reminding himself of a human's stamina. It did not stop his body, though, from showing its appreciation of the naked girl leaning on his chest at the moment.

He pooled some of the cold water into his hand and brought it to her back, letting it dribble down the claw marks. She made a tiny, half-hearted sound of protest and stiffened a bit when the cold water hit her warm skin, but it did much to cool the swollen area, and she snuggled closer into his arms as he patted her skin with a cloth. From another bag he had brought from the pack animal, he shook a small amount of thick liquid onto the pads of his fingers, and gently applied the salve to her back. It dried quickly, caked over the wounds, and he carefully pulled her undergarments back up around her body, his jaw tightening as he fought for control over his arousal.

Rin, coming a bit more awake, opened her eyes to see Sesshoumaru's chest in front of her, and felt him adjusting her clothing as he finished his ministrations to the marks on her back. Her eyes dropped a bit lower, and she saw the strain against his clothing that bespoke of a demon in need. Her back hurt too much for her to offer her body to him, so she simply reached for the ties in his clothing, an idea surfacing in her sleepy mind.

Sesshoumaru, feeling her hands freeing his arousal from the confines of his clothes, purred as he brushed his lips against her temple. His voice was low and gruff,

"Did you forget that I only wanted to be inside your body when I release my seed? I..." he paused, her hands slipping inside his robes, "appreciate your concern, but you need sleep." He bared his teeth and snarled a bit when she found his manhood and wrapped one hand around it, bringing it out of his clothing.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama, but you _will_ be inside me when you...release," she said haltingly, embarrassed to say it even now. Sesshoumaru shuddered at the implication in her words and placed his hands on her shoulders. Her kimono, now quite rumpled and bunched around her hips, was where he settled his gaze as her body bent to bring her head down. He had always wanted to feel her lips on his engorged flesh, and it was all he could do to not dig his claws into her shoulders when she finally touched him.

Rin gently licked the topside of his arousal, contemplating the taste of his body, and finding that it suited him perfectly. Above her head, she heard his chest rumble with a deep growl, and slid his length partially into her mouth, testing to see if that felt good to him, too. When she felt his grip tighten on her shoulders and heard his breath catch in his throat, she pulled her lips down his arousal, letting it slide along her tongue. Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth, his breath catching in the back of his throat. He was mostly shocked at how fast his body was reacting. _How can I be this close this fast?_ Remembering all the times he had pleasured himself during the past year, thinking of Rin, a good chunk of the fantasies that elicited the more intense reactions consisted of her head in his lap. Even now, his heart was pounding and he could feel the pulse of blood in his entire body, moving in time to the quick beats of his heart. Sesshoumaru, having never lost control of his body in his life, was fighting to keep from pumping into her hot little mouth and howling at the sky. Her head bobbed faster when she realized how much he liked it.

"Rin..." he gasped, quickly going out of his mind. _It's too much. I haven't climaxed this fast before, and it's too much._ His mind wanted his hands to stop her, but they didn't obey. They stayed on her shoulders, squeezing them as the tension swiftly mounted. He wanted to make this moment last longer—after all, it was a favorite fantasy of his to have Rin crouched between his legs—but it was the first time, and she had spontaneously thought of it without any suggestions from him.

"I—," he began to say before a moan took over, though it sounded more like a dog's growl. All too soon, the warmth of his peak was filtering up his arousal, coming hard and fast. He gasped her name again, throwing his head back as she held him in her mouth, waiting for him to climax and rubbing her tongue along the tip in order to coax his body into submission. Loudly groaning to the treetops, he spilled himself into her warm, wet mouth, biting his lip at how her mouth seemed to suction away his seed. Rin found the taste to be too salty, but swallowed his seed, glad to be able to bring her master to orgasm when he had already brought her so many times. She felt his hands loosen their death grip on her shoulders, and his hair tickled her neck as his head dropped down, a satisfied, low sigh falling to her ears. She released his flesh from her mouth, licking the last of the moisture from her lips and leaning back. His head still hung down a bit, but he finally raised it, a feral look in his eyes, which got a shiver running up Rin's spine.

"Thank you, Rin, but when we get home, I'll make sure to return the favor...many times." His voice was low and deep, and her breaths quickened. Sesshoumaru seemed to snap out of it, and tucked himself back into his clothing. Pulling the wrinkled kimono from under her, Rin clutched it to her chest as he once again lifted her, walking them back to the fire that Jaken had started. The toad had laid out the blanket next to the fire and had left out some food for Rin, but was already asleep on the roots of a tree about forty feet away. Sesshoumaru sat behind her back, feeding the strips of meat to her as each silently enjoyed the other's company. After Rin finished and took a few swallows of the bowl of water that had been sitting to the side, she lied down with her back to the fire and snuggled into her master's chest as he supported her head with his arm and rested his hand on her hip.

Inhaling the scent of her hair, he drew his claws through the strands of hair that were resting on her cheek, pulling it away from her face as he rested his cheek on her temple. Rin, from the hollow his neck where she had tucked her nose, spoke a muffled comment,

"How long will it be until we get home, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"We will take a faster route home and should arrive by nightfall. Ah-Un will take us there directly." She sighed against his throat, more contented than she had ever been. "I love you," he murmured. Wondering if Rin was asleep yet, he didn't have long to wait for an answer. He felt tears on his neck at his softly spoken words, and pulled her closer to his body.

"I love you, too. Just keep me with you." Her voice cracked a bit, and Sesshoumaru rubbed circles into her shoulder.

"Of course, my love. That's a promise."

From across the clearing, Jaken relaxed a bit, having strained his ears to catch some of their conversation. Glad to be headed back home soon, he resignedly admitted to himself that he was happy for them. After all, if the master was happy, then he wouldn't get hit so much.


	4. Chapter 4

As Rin's mind came out of sleep, she took a deep breath and tried to curl closer to her only source of warmth. It had suddenly grown colder, but Rin couldn't find Sesshoumaru's body with her hand. Peeking one eye open, Rin could barely see to the tree line in the pre-dawn light. The sun would be rising soon. Turning over carefully onto her other side, Rin winced as the skin on her back pulled over tender nerves. Rin looked at the dead fire and saw Jaken stretching his little stubby arms from where he had slept against a tree's roots. Ah-Un's heads were still both lying on the ground, softly snoring. Gathering a breath, Rin pushed up to a sitting position, wincing again. It felt like her whole body ached. Her back stung a bit, all of her muscles were stiff, and she felt sore between her legs. Looking around, Rin found her sandals and stood up, slipping her feet into the straps of her shoes. Making her way to Ah-Un with her bag in tow, Rin slipped her soiled kimono into the largest satchel, and then pulled out a clean one.

Putting a clean towel and the kimono into her bag along with some soap on a string and her brush, Rin walked back to the blanket she had slept on with her master and set her bag down. Finding some privacy in the trees, Rin did her early morning business before walking back to where her bag was sitting. Bending her knees, Rin grabbed the edge of the blanket and then stood up. Flicking little blades of dewy grass from the bottom of the blanket, Rin folded it and then put it away in another of Ah-Un's satchels. As she fastened the bag, Rin felt a presence behind her, and turned around to see Sesshoumaru standing there. He was holding a small jar, and looking at her without expression. Rin glanced over her shoulder to see Jaken approaching the fire, grumbling to himself. _He doesn't show any soft emotions in front of Jaken_, Rin realized.

"Ohayou, Sesshoumaru-sama. Did your night go well for you?" Rin, still in her underclothing, was a bit cold in the morning air, and Sesshoumaru's eyes dropped down to her chest, where it became obvious that Rin was chilled. Simply responding with an soft grunt and a nod, Sesshoumaru gave Rin a pointed stare and turned towards the woods. Rin jogged to get her satchel and followed her master, throwing over her shoulder to Jaken,

"I'll be right back, Jaken-sama." Her answer was a grunt. Catching up to Sesshoumaru, Rin slipped her hand into his, showing her affection without words since it was his way. As they neared the river where Sesshoumaru had cleansed her back the night before, a wave of nausea suddenly hit Rin, and she had to stop walking altogether. Clutching Sesshoumaru's hand, Rin grimaced and leaned forward, pressing the fist that held her bag to her stomach.

"What is it?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice even but firm. Rin swallowed and shook her head. The nausea was slowly dying away, making it easier to breathe, and Rin leaned back up, loosening her grip on Sesshoumaru's hand and looking a bit flushed.

"I felt a little sick, but I think I'm better now," Rin said, smiling. Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrow at her, and no sooner had Rin finished her sentence than she felt another bout of nausea coming. Dropping her bag, Rin ran ahead to the stream and dry heaved a couple of times into the clear water. If there had been anything left in her stomach, the experience might have been worse. Taking deep breaths, Rin opened her eyes again. She splashed some of the cold water onto her face and sighed, glad that the nausea had passed. Sesshoumaru knelt next to her, setting her bag on the ground. Rin wiped the excess moisture from her face and turned to Sesshoumaru, looking worried.

"Do you think I'm ill?" Rin asked. "Maybe I should have brought out a blanket last night." Sesshoumaru put a hand to her shoulder, squeezing it.

"I lack knowledge on the details of human pregnancy. A nearby village had a woman with some experience in this area, so I procured this from her," he said, gesturing towards the bottle in his hand. "She said it helps women with the nausea they feel as a result of pregnancy." Rin looked down at the bottle, hoping the village woman was right, and that Sesshoumaru didn't scare her too much. Sesshoumaru told her to take one swallow only, and handed her the bottle. Rin pulled the cork out, sniffing the bottle's contents. It didn't smell bad at all, so Rin put the bottle to her lips. It actually tasted a bit sweet, but more like a grass sweet than a sugar sweet. Licking her lips, Rin corked the bottle again and set it on the ground next to her bag.

"I think I feel better already," Rin sighed as her stomach's rumblings began to quiet down. She then placed her hand in the stream to gauge the temperature of the water. Sesshoumaru watched as she took her hand out of the stream and stood up. She slid her feet out of her sandals and then slipped out of her under-robe, folding it and setting it on the grass. Finding the soap in her bag, Rin slowly waded into the stream. The current wasn't fast, but Rin would have to pay attention to where she stepped. Her teeth chattered at the temperature of the water, but she knew she'd be able to wash and get out before it mattered too much. Turning to see Sesshoumaru still kneeling on the bank, Rin pinched her lower lip between her teeth and braved a question.

"Could...could Sesshoumaru-sama bathe with me? I'm a little cold," Rin shyly said, looking down at the surface of the water. Peeking up again, Rin saw Sesshoumaru simply stand up and begin to remove his clothing. Unable to take her eyes away, Rin practically ogled every line of his body as he uncovered it. All of his muscles were so well toned and perfect. And there was something about the way his crisp but heavy silver hair brushed against his own skin, as if Rin could feel it brushing against her own skin as well. Becoming aware that her mouth was open once Sesshoumaru had removed his shoes, she snapped it shut. She was becoming used to the water's temperature, mostly likely due to the intense blush that Sesshoumaru always gave her, and dunked her head underneath the water. Coming back up, Rin wiped the water from her face and looked to the bank again. Sesshoumaru wasn't there anymore, though. Looking up and down the bank and then around the stream, Rin couldn't see him anywhere.

"Sesshoumaru-sama? Where are you?" Hanging the soap around her neck, Rin tried to feel the water in front of her to see if Sesshoumaru was trying to sneak up on her. _Why would he do that?_ Hearing the movement of water behind her, though, Rin gasped and turned around. Rin saw him just as his shoulders cleared the surface, and he stood up, which brought the level dangerously close to his navel. The temperature of the stream's chilled water versus the temperature of Sesshoumaru's much warmer body had created a bit of steam, which rose from his chest and shoulders. His hair was darker since it was wet, and it was dripping water down his body in little rivulets. Sesshoumaru actually smirked, much to Rin's surprise, and then simply reached for the soap hanging from her neck. Rubbing it between his hands to create lather, he let the soap bar drop from his fingers and stepped closer to Rin. Reaching behind her, he set his hands in the small of her back and smoothed his hands up, gently removing the medicine that had caked over the welts in her back. The tender nerves pricked a bit, and Rin leaned her forehead on Sesshoumaru's chest as he moved his hands, setting her hands on his hips. Pooling some water in his hands, Sesshoumaru rinsed off the soap and grime from Rin's back, and was glad to see the welts scabbing over. She would definitely have scars—there was no doubt—but the wounds were healing.

"The marks are starting to heal," Sesshoumaru commented for Rin, since she obviously couldn't see her back. Rin craned her neck back to look up at him, and, looking down at Rin, Sesshoumaru's eyes were automatically drawn to the soft breasts on either side of the soap. He lathered his hands again, cleaning Rin's arms, sides, breasts, and stomach. Rin was quiet, but loving every one of his touches. Her heart beat slowly and steadily, and Rin almost felt like purring. Feeling a poke in her lower abdomen, Rin looked down to see Sesshoumaru's arousal pointing at her just beneath the water's surface, despite the temperature of the water. Sesshoumaru lathered his hands again and attempted to work some soap into Rin's thick mass of black hair. While his eyes were on his hands, Rin lathered up her own hands, getting an idea. Her heart began to pound more heavily, and Rin only moved her hands faster, getting as much lather as possible. Dipping one hand beneath the water and wrapping her soapy fingers around his length, Rin smiled as she felt his hands come to a quick stop. She heard a heavy sigh, and felt all the more excited for it. Rin slowly pumped her hand over him, switching to her other hand once the lubricating soap was gone. His hands fixed themselves to her shoulders, and she felt his hips lightly bucking into her hand.

"Rin...remember what I said?" Sesshoumaru brusquely asked, obviously affected by Rin's hands. _How does she know? How does she know what I want?_ Rin took her hand away, having run out of soap since it had drifted away in the stream. Looking up at Sesshoumaru, Rin answered,

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama, I remember." Bending her knees, Rin leaned back to scrub the soap out of her hair. Remembering the hazy dream she had been having before she woke up, in which she was on her knees between her master's thighs and was...well, to think of it made Rin blush. She knew that she had done it for real before going to bed last night, but Rin wondered to herself as the soap floated away as to why the thought had ever occurred to her. _Sesshoumaru-sama certainly enjoyed it, but...was what I did considerable acceptable?_ Rin wanted very badly to please Sesshoumaru; she wanted to make him happy in every possible way and to give him physical pleasure often was one of her goals. Even now, since she was feeling a bit tender, she thought of trying it again.

For Sesshoumaru, it felt like an eternity until Rin brought her hair out of the water again. Her cheeks were red along her cheekbones, making it look as if she had applied the blush of noble ladies. Sesshoumaru proudly thought to himself that she was a noble woman now. Being married by demon mating rights to the Lord of the Western Lands made Rin legitimate nobility in the demon world. And what a beautiful noble woman she was. He could still feel the soft pliancy of her skin on the palms of his hands, even though he had rinsed the last of the soap from her body several minutes ago. Her hair, now free of tangles and wetly shining from the crown of her head down to the small of her back, was a black glimmer that contrasted sharply with that pale, smooth skin. Sesshoumaru felt his phallus harden to steel as he perused his mate's wares, and wondered if she would do what he hoped she would do. Her eyes seemed to hold a questioning stare, having lasted a good thirty seconds, and Sesshoumaru finally realized that Rin wanted his permission. _She can always have her way...doesn't she know that?_

Giving her a nod, Sesshoumaru watched as she put her hands on his hips and pulled him into shallow water. He could hear her nervous breaths over the soft sounds of the creek. Rin sunk down to her knees, which were cushioned in the soft sand of the streambed, and her sopping hair hung down most of her back, cooling the slightly swollen wounds in her back. _Why am I nervous? I didn't feel nervous last night. What's the difference?_ Leaning forward, Rin licked the tip of Sesshoumaru's arousal, and rubbed it against the flat of her tongue. Hearing a grunt above her head, Rin slid him partially into her mouth. It was strange that she didn't quite remember having to open her jaw this far in order to push him inside her mouth, and his taste was a little stronger. Realizing that she probably wasn't nervous last night because she was half-asleep, Rin wryly thought to herself that she should try to be more awake the next time she tried something new with Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru was having trouble remembering to breathe, and let his head fall back. How does she know? Sesshoumaru had found that he couldn't stop touching Rin once he had cleaned the medicine off of her back, and so he decided to wash every inch his hands could reach. Rin had willingly stood there while he explored her skin, letting his hands slide anywhere he wished as soap swam between his fingers. It wasn't a long wait until his body responded, needing to touch Rin deep within her belly. But knowing that they did not have much time this morning, and that Rin's body needed to heal in more places than one, Sesshoumaru had been prepared to ignore the insistent arousal making itself known beneath the water level. Rin certainly didn't ignore it, though.

His hand found the back of Rin's head as she bobbed it over his length, and his hips involuntarily thrust into her mouth. Rin braced one hand on Sesshoumaru's stomach, feeling the muscles beneath jump every time she took him in. Feeling what must be involuntarily reactions, Rin felt almost powerful despite her position. She knew that she would never be able to deny Sesshoumaru access to her body or her thoughts. He was trustworthy and reliable, and she loved him more than life itself. Doing this for him was just one of the ways Rin hoped to show him that love over the span of her life.

Though no one saw it, Sesshoumaru seemed to be in ecstasy. His features, turned towards the sky, were contorted with strain, but a pleasurable strain at that. Letting out a heavy, shaky breath, he pulled more air in, starting to sound like the pants of a large dog. He fought his orgasm for a few minutes, trying to control his reaction to Rin, but something about her made it impossible. Why? Why does she hold this power over me? Sesshoumaru wished he had the answer. He knew that part of the reason was Rin's beauty—she was undeniably beautiful in a fresh and nymph-like way. She smelled of the woods and forest spices, and her own personal scent was utterly enthralling. Gritting his teeth, he allowed a single groan to hiss past his teeth, still holding on but for only a few more seconds.

"Uhnn...r-right there," he growled, his hands shaking as the scorching heat of orgasm spread like wild fire from the pit of his belly to the tip of his phallus, filling his torso and thighs with a warm, throbbing sensation as he climaxed into Rin's mouth. Then gasping for air, Sesshoumaru looked around him as if seeing the world differently. He hissed, feeling Rin's tongue swirl around the tip of his length as she swallowed the last of his seed. When she finally released him, he heard her scoop some water from the stream and use it to refresh her mouth. He stayed where he was, wanting to savor the moment that had just passed. Rin stood up, wiped the sand off of her knees, and brought the soap-on-a-string off of her neck. When Rin's cinnamon brown eyes met his, now that Sesshoumaru had experienced a small portion of the love Rin felt for him, he looked down at her angelic face and slid his palms up the outsides her bare arms.

"Is Sesshoumaru-sama ready to go home?" Rin softly asked, stepping close. Sesshoumaru leaned down to her lips, brushing his mouth against the softness beneath. Replying with another nod and giving Rin a full, open-mouthed kiss, Sesshoumaru held Rin in a close, loose hug with one hand cupping the side of her jaw. Her mouth was so sweet in taste that it had already masked his own taste, most likely still lingering within after what Rin had done twice already. Gently ending the kiss as Rin shivered underneath his arm, Sesshoumaru walked the rest of the way to the bank with Rin. The two toweled themselves dry and dressed. Her clean kimono was white, painstakingly embroidered with nameless flowers swirling about a black dragon that rode the hem of her skirt. Her sleeves and shoulders were speckled with the same flower designs, all in muted gray tones. She wove her hair into one long, thick braid and then flipped it over her shoulder as she grabbed her things. The two walked back to the campsite, Rin again sliding her hand into his grip. Sesshoumaru sniffed the air, hoping to find the scent of Rin's pregnancy, but a much stronger odor drifted past.

Sesshoumaru could smell another demon nearby, and it wasn't Jaken. Sniffing the air again and gripping her hand a bit tighter, he determined that the demon was within a mile of their campsite—a spider demon if his nose was correct. At the campsite, Jaken had poured water over the smoldering fire to make sure it was out, and had the supplies packed back onto Ah-Un. Rin fastened her bag to Un's side again, not noticing the way Sesshoumaru was sniffing and squinting into the line of trees to the north. Jaken noticed quite well, and had the Staff of Heads ready.

"Rin, stay with the pack animal. Jaken, follow," Sesshoumaru commanded. He began to walk to the north, calmly moving as Jaken followed at more anxious pace. Rin worriedly sidled up against Un's side, looking around the clearing. Sesshoumaru and Jaken disappeared into the trees, and Rin vaguely heard them pick up the pace to the north before all sounds of their departure faded. She knew that Sesshoumaru would be all right, but was afraid of being alone. _Ah-Un is with me_, she thought to herself. Though it was only a demon's pack animal, Ah-Un was not stupid. The animal easily followed verbal commands, though it was unable to speak for itself, and it knew when there was a fight brewing. After five minutes of waiting, she calmed down somewhat, certain that whatever it was that Sesshoumaru had smelled to the north was probably dead by now. That's when Ah-Un began to react to something nearby. It was whinnying like a horse, though the sound was deeper and closer to squawking. She had never heard it make that noise before now.

"Ah-Un? What is it?" she whispered to the two heads, which were looking around the clearing. _It must be Sesshoumaru-sama returning. Maybe Ah-Un can smell the blood on his hands?_ Rin suddenly wanted to hide underneath Ah-Un's belly, but forced herself not to panic. Ah-Un made the scared sound again, and Rin looked about, looking for the source of Ah-Un's anxiety. _Sesshoumaru-sama..._ Hearing a sudden crash of wood, she half-gasped, half-shrieked, and whipped her head toward the origin of the noise. From the south, about half a dozen spider demons burst through the line of trees, making a beeline towards Rin and Ah-Un. Screaming in fright as her body automatically moved north, she ran the other direction, hiking up her kimono so that she could run faster. Ah-Un stood its ground, defending her escape route, but it wasn't too long before she heard the spider demons take down the pack animal. It fell to the ground with a loud, resounding thud, knocking the breath out of it, and she realized that the rest would be coming after her.

"Sesshoumaru!" she screamed, feeling the same terror she had when the wolves were coming after her as a child. Sesshoumaru had revived her then, but would he save her before it happened again? _Sesshoumaru! Please help me!_ Her mind was jumbled by now, and all she could think of was to get to her master. Finding her way through the undergrowth on the other side of the clearing and jumping over roots and fallen branches, she made her way quickly through the woods. Hearing the labored breathing of the spider demons close behind her, she forced her legs to move faster. Her thighs burned with strain, but she kept them moving. _Sesshoumaru, Sesshoumaru!_ Not daring to look behind her lest she trip over anything in the act, her eyes searched the area in front of her for any signs of her master. Running towards a tree with a low-hanging branch, she gripped the end of it and pulled as she ran by it, releasing it when she passed. Thankfully hearing it hit one of her pursuers, which made an awful screeching noise, she tried to look for more means of attacking them without stopping. Seeing none, she was on the verge of tears, especially since her lungs were burning from the lack of oxygen she was providing to her aching legs.

"Sesshoumaru!" she screamed again, hoping her voice carried to him. Before she could gather enough breath to scream once more, something smacked her hard in the middle of her back. She fell forward over the thick root of a large oak tree and rolled quickly down to the ground. Looking up, she saw two of the spider demons glaring at her, their disgusting pincer mouths moving with delight. The one closest to her, with its hairy hand pressed to her chest to keep her from moving, said,

"Now, now, little one. It won't last too long. We haven't had the blood of one so young in at least four moons. Just hold still now." Its breath was horrid and its crazy stare was coming close to putting Rin into shock. Closing her eyes against their hungry gaze, she threw her arms up to cover her face, screaming. Hearing what sounded like a whip crack followed by four thuds, Rin uncovered her eyes to see Sesshoumaru standing next to her, looking at the bodies of the spider demons (and their dismembered heads). His left hand was still glowing an acidic green, though it was quickly fading. She couldn't remember feeling more relieved and felt her heartbeat slow down. Sesshoumaru turned and looked down at her, and inexplicable emotion on his face.

"Sesshoumaru-sama...thank you," she quietly said, sitting up. Before she could get herself to her feet, though, he picked her up by her waist and clamped her against his chest, pressing his cheek against hers. She snuggled into him as best as she could, considering the armor he wore. "You saved me again...thanks," she said against his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Sesshoumaru contented himself with breathing in her scent for a moment. When he had heard her first faint scream from a mile away, having killed a lowly spider demon, he had broke out into a sprint before Jaken could even turn around in confusion. When she screamed his name, Sesshoumaru could practically hear his heart beating, and adrenalin was giving him that long-forgotten sensation—fear. He had not been afraid of anything for a great while—he had not even felt any comparable amount of fear when his brother had first transformed into a full demon once Tessaiga had been taken away from him. He was only a hundred feet away when he heard Rin scream his name once again, and had converged on the origin of her voice. Finding two of those disgusting spider demons standing over Rin like spiders over a butterfly, Sesshoumaru quickly lobbed their heads off. He had watched almost through a haze of anger as the heads flew back from the necks of their bodies.

Now that she was safe, he felt a rush of relief and couldn't help but clutch the human woman to him. Feeling her return the embrace, he squeezed her closer. She felt pain shoot down her spine when Sesshoumaru tightened his embrace, but did her hardest not to react. She would be getting a bruise from that little scuffle. Sesshoumaru could hear Jaken bumbling through the undergrowth to the north and quietly asked Rin what happened to the pack animal.

"Ah-Un let me escape. I think Ah-Un may be dead, Sesshoumaru-sama," she whispered. Jaken finally fell forward through a bush, clutching his chest in an effort to catch his breath.

"S-sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken said, implying that he was there to follow his master's orders. Sesshoumaru turned his head slightly to look at Jaken, not removing his arms from around Rin. Though his gaze was cold, his stance was obvious. Jaken decided to ignore Sesshoumaru's display of affection, knowing that deep down, he, too, was scared for the girl's life.

"Check on Ah-Un. Go." Watching Jaken stumble through the brush as he continued south, Sesshoumaru bent his knees to let Rin's feet touch the ground once again. She pulled back a bit to smile at him, her eyes shimmering with tears. Placing her small hands on his face in a bold move, she touched her lips to his. It was the first time that she had kissed him rather than the other way around, and she cherished the moment while it lasted. Bringing her lips away, she took a deep breath and let it out, having collected herself. Sesshoumaru returned to his full height, opening his hand for hers as they walked back to the campsite, where hopefully Ah-Un was still alive.

Breaking through the tree line, Rin peered around Sesshoumaru's body to see Ah-Un sitting quite peacefully near the fire pit. Jaken was wrapping a bandage around its leg, but it would only be temporary until Ah-Un healed by itself. Two spider demons lay dead near the edge of the clearing, where Ah-Un had obviously thrown them, breaking their spines against the trunks of the trees. Rin happily ran to the pack animal, petting both heads. Sesshoumaru sniffed the air to make sure no living enemy demons were near them, waiting patiently while Jaken finished the bandaging. _Those bastards...one put itself downwind while the others attacked from upwind...I couldn't smell the rest in time to realize their strategy._

"I have finished, Sesshoumaru-sama," Jaken squawked. Sesshoumaru looked down at the toad icily, but nodded. Jaken bowed deep and then clambered onto the rear of the pack animal's back. Sesshoumaru walked to Rin, gripping her around the waist and lifting her to the front of the animal's back. Seating himself behind her, he only had to say "go" to command Ah-Un to fly them home for a much-needed reprieve. Wrapping his arms around Rin as they gained some altitude above the forest, he breathed in her scent, calming the rage he was feeling as they flew west.

-_The Mansion_-

Sesshoumaru's home_,_ where his father had lived with his mother and Inuyasha's mother when they had been alive, was nestled into the side of a forested foothill, hidden from bird's eye view. In his younger days, Sesshoumaru had basically evicted Inuyasha and his mother once their father had died. Inuyasha was only a few years old, but he and his mother found a place to stay, or so he heard from Jaken. Since the death of that disgusting half-demon, Naraku, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had come to a sort of truce, neither seeking the death of the other, nor seeking each other out for any other reason.

The mansion was large, but not so large as to attract attention to it. Only one servant lived there, keeping the rooms clean and preparing food for Rin and Jaken. An elderly woman, the servant rarely spoke except to answer to Sesshoumaru's summons or to chat with Rin.

The tall trees blocked any travelers from seeing the front of the home from the higher elevations of the surrounding area, and the rear of the home was built into the foothill. Ah-Un knew the way home, though, and dropped down through a tiny break in the trees about fifty feet from the entrance. Rin happily jumped off before Sesshoumaru could assist her, and ran to the front doors with two bags from Ah-Un's sides. Jaken grumbled about Rin's lack of manners, but quickly squelched his complaints after getting a cold stare from Sesshoumaru.

"I'm home, Sayo! We're back!" Inside the entrance, Rin set down the two bags, slipped out of her sandals, and put on her house shoes. Running into the hallway, she looked left and then right before seeing the old woman coming around the corner down the right hall. Jogging to meet the servant, she whispered hurriedly, "I must tell you what happened between Sesshoumaru-sama and I while we were gone. It finally happened, Sayo! And I'm with child, too! I must admit that I'm afraid of the birthing. Helping mother with other women when they were laboring made me want to never have a child, but I think I'd do anything for Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Rin kept the conversation short and to the point: the way Sayo preferred it to be. The whole time that Rin was quietly gossiping with Sayo, the old woman merely nodded, her expression unchanging and flat. From behind Rin, though, Jaken waddled in carrying a bag.

"This is good news, Rin. I hope the best for you and Sesshoumaru-sama. Now I must help with the unpacking," Sayo said in a deadpan voice. Rin nodded and followed the servant to the entrance where Sayo took the bag from Jaken and continued on down the hall. She brought her feet out of the slippers before stepping into a tatami room and disappeared inside. Rin looked back out of the entrance to see Jaken pulling another bag off of Ah-Un, but then Sesshoumaru blocked her view as he stepped inside.

"Welcome home, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said, smiling. Sesshoumaru shucked his boots and walked by Rin in bare feet to look down the hall where Sayo disappeared. Setting his hand on her shoulder, he leaned down to whisper "I'm home" in Rin's ear before walking towards the open tatami room. She felt a shiver down her spine. Sayo stepped out of the tatami room and put her house slippers back on before bowing to Sesshoumaru.

"Welcome back, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said. "Your orders?" Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her, uncomprehending as to how she could still be alive. He was half-expecting her to have died of old age by now.

"Rin and Jaken will need their dinner soon. We shall be staying for two months." He continued on past the servant down the hall and around the corner. Rin went back outside to help Jaken take Ah-Un to the small stable off to the side of the mansion, and Sayo made her way to the kitchen to prepare the meal. Jaken waved Rin away when she tried to help him remove the harness from Ah-Un's heads, so Rin headed back inside their home. Smelling broth already simmering from the kitchen, she turned left and peeked her head around the corner. Seeing that the door to Sesshoumaru's room was open, she walked to the entrance and looked inside. He was sitting at the window, having taken his armor off, and looking out at the waning light of the day. Studying him for a moment, she admired how the soft light of sunset made his skin glow and his white hair shimmer with temporary red highlights.

"It's good to be home," she said softly. Sesshoumaru took his gaze away from the window to look at her, making her fidget under his stare.

"Come inside and shut the door," he purred, his mood obvious. She blushed but smiled and removed her house slippers. Stepping inside, she slid the door shut and padded over to him, sitting on her shins. Feeling unbearably shy for some reason, she couldn't keep eye contact with Sesshoumaru and played with the black embroidery on the skirt of her kimono. An ache was clawing her stomach, though, and she wanted to be as close to him as possible.

Seeing a shadow pass over her hands, she looked up and saw Sesshoumaru leaning over her. His face remained expressionless for another couple of seconds before it softened as his eyes searched her face. Bringing her arms up, she wove them around his neck and parted her mouth. She closed her eyes, waiting for him to make the first move. His breath spilled over her lips, and she stretched her neck to press her lips against his, moving them slowly but deliberately. Sesshoumaru slid his arms around her, squeezing her to his chest and lowering them to the tatami mats. Groaning into his mouth as he slid his tongue inside, she fisted her hands in the cloth over his shoulders, missing the feel of body against hers, even if it had only been a bit more than a day since they had last made love.

Feeling his hand underneath the skirt of her kimono, sliding its way up her thigh, she felt her blood pooling to her lower abdomen, but enough stayed behind to tint her cheeks with a dark blush. Sesshoumaru was aching to be inside of her again, but his ears picked up slow footsteps heading towards the room. Lifting his head away from Rin to look up at the door, his mood turned sour. Though the door was closed, it was obvious that Sayo was back for something. Rin, unaware of the servant's presence, quietly whispered,

"Sesshoumaru...please. I need you to make love to me." She pressed her lips to his throat, but gasped when she heard Sayo's voice through the door.

"Rin, your dinner is ready." With that, the old woman simply began to walk back to the kitchens. Obviously, her hearing wasn't all that great anymore, and she hadn't heard Rin's desperately whispered plea. Rin let her head fall back onto the tatami mat, and looked up at Sesshoumaru to see what he would do. He seemed to be listening for when Sayo would most definitely not be within earshot, and looked down at his mate with an unreadable expression. Rin could feel his arousal against her other thigh, and dinner seemed like a trivial need at the moment.

"Eat your dinner, but return quickly," he commanded, rolling off of her. He stood up, helping Rin to her feet. She felt like she should say something, like an apology, but nothing seemed to come out. Sesshoumaru merely shook his head at her, noiselessly brushing aside the implied apology, and she bowed, quickly sliding the door open and walking briskly to the kitchens. The scent of the soup Sayo had made was making her mouth water now that she was away from Sesshoumaru's distracting body. She peeked her head around the corner of the doorjamb, and saw Sayo stirring the soup, looking like it was the most boring thing in the world. Rin amusedly imaged Sayo smoking one of the pipes she had seen those courtesans using when she was but a young teenager and peeking at a caravan of human nobility while out with her Sesshoumaru-sama. Jaken was slurping up the soup at the table, sitting on his little stumpy legs. Coming inside the kitchen, Rin said,

"It smells really good, Sayo." The old woman looked up, still stirring and reached for a bowl with her other hand. Spooning some of the soup into the bowl, she set it down on the table across from Jaken and placed chopsticks on the rim. Rin sat down, tucking her feet under her primly and picked up the chopsticks. "Itadakimasu!" From the corner of her eye, Rin saw Sayo smirk just a bit, and tried to eat as quickly as possible without looking like Jaken. Finishing the soup, she stood up and set the bowl and chopsticks on the counter, thanking Sayo for cooking. Jaken merely grunted from his seat at the table to indicate that he wanted more, and Sayo walked over to pick up his bowl without commenting. Running outside to the well, Rin pumped a bit of water into a bucket and washed her hands and face, drying them on a towel that Sayo brought to her from the door of the kitchens.

Silently taking back the now damp towel, Sayo watched Rin run off to the front hallway on her way back to Sesshoumaru's room. She made a mental note not to disturb the master until it was time to serve Rin's breakfast. Rin, a bit breathless, rounded the corner of the hallway and slowed her step. Looking into the room, she gasped in surprise when she found Sesshoumaru standing only three feet away from the door. He grabbed her arm and pulled her inside, shutting the door behind her. Rin stood there, a bit shocked, as he systematically pulled and tugged at the obi of her kimono.

"S... Sesshou...maru-sama," she quietly said with her arms pulled up to stay out of his way. Feeling wanted and desired, her cheeks blushed and she smiled despite her best attempts. She looked to the side with a quick glance while he removed her clothing, seeing his futon was laid out and covered with a silk sheet. The room was already much darker since the sun was nearly set, but Sesshoumaru had already lit a candle that sat near the window. The obi finally came free of her waist, and she stifled a pained noise as he too roughly pulled it away from her waist. She was unable to help it, though, when he pushed the garment off of her shoulders, along with her under-robe. The shock of open air was enough to make her gasp.

Now in only her socks, she watched as Sesshoumaru quite easily removed his clothing in only a few breaths. She walked past him towards the open window to shut it once Sesshoumaru was nearly finished, but stopped and faced Sesshoumaru again when she heard her name gruffly spoken. His eyebrows were scrunched together a small measure, though the rest of his face was still expressionless. He turned her back towards the light of the candle in case his demon sight was tricking him, and flipped her braid over her shoulder. There was a large purple bruise in the middle of her back, and the scabbing welts of the claw marks he had made in her skin had allowed the blood from the bruise to pool down the three marks to her lower back, bruising that skin as well.

"Where did this bruise come from?" he said, his voice deepening as his anger rose. Rin didn't need to ponder the question—she knew exactly when it had happened.

"When I was running away from the spider demons this morning, one of them knocked me down by hitting me in the back." She felt the pads of his fingers lightly trace the abused skin on her back and closed her eyes.

"This must be painful," he commented, earning an agreeing nod from Rin. Sesshoumaru placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing the tense muscles. "Put on your under-robe. We will sleep tonight." She gasped in surprise at his command, turning around to give him a confused look.

"But, why?" she asked, disappointed.

"Mating now would be uncomfortable to you," he explained. He was about to bend down to grab her under-robe, determined to stick to his decision, when she stepped forward, bringing her scent and body much closer to him.

"But Sesshoumaru-sama, I...I _need_ you," she achingly said, sliding her palms over his hips. She saw his jaw tighten and felt his arousal poking her abdomen again.

"I do not wish to cause you any more pain, love," he said, his voice rough. Her hands tightened on his hips, and she felt a deep, dark blush rise to her cheeks.

"B...but...we don't..." She paused, trying to sort through her shyness. "We...don't have to...I mean, I don't have...to be lying down...right?" He watched her desperate face through passion-glazed eyes, and a half-growl, half-purr spilled from his lips. Brushing the pads of his fingers down her arm, his eyes darkened to the color of lust. He gently grasped her wrists and pulled her toward the futon, walking backwards slowly. She felt her heartbeat pick up, making her a bit dizzy, and she had to admit to herself that she loved the way he elicited that reaction.

At the foot of the futon, he turned her away from him and slid his arm around her ribcage while his other hand smoothed its way down her side and over her hip to sneak between her legs. She automatically and unconsciously spread her stance to allow him access, and gingerly leaned back against his chest as his fingers delicately slid between her lips, spreading her open. Softly rubbing the jewel hidden underneath the tender skin there, Sesshoumaru rolled the pearl between two fingers, eliciting an impatient half-groan, half-sigh from Rin. _I have to be careful. Careful..._

"Can...can I ask you something, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she sighed. Sesshoumaru brought his mind back into focus and forced his mouth to respond.

"Yes." Rin made a small whimper, feeling her level of excitement rising as he rubbed a particularly sensitive spot.

"When we...when we mate, Sesshoumaru-sama... why do I feel...wet between my legs?" she asked. Sesshoumaru felt his arousal jump at that question, and brushed his cheek against her hair.

"Your body knows that a male is about to enter and give you his seed. It has evolved a way of...lubricating you so that you only feel pleasure." He obviously sensed the erotic nature of their conversation and reveled in it, glad that he was the one to answer her questions.

"Even if I'm thinking about you, my body can tell, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked. She set her hand over the one between her thighs, sliding her fingers over his as they moved over her most sensitive spot. Sesshoumaru felt tight and strained from the arousing way she was reacting to the movements of his hands.

"Do you think about me in a sexual way, Rin?" he asked, very much ready to hear her answer. The throbbing member between his legs had to hear it. Leaning down to take her earlobe between his lips, his other hand cupped her breast, squeezing it lightly in time to the rhythmic rubbing of his fingers. She shakily sighed and brought her free hand back to hold the side of her master's jaw. She could hear the wet smacks of his fingers as they worked in the liquid of her body, and felt all the more aroused by the sound.

"Often, Sesshoumaru-sama. Every hour of the day...if not more." She shuddered beneath his caresses, and he pressed a kiss to the hollow behind her ear, still gently rubbing his fingers against her body, now well lubricated.

"Your mind and body are connected, Rin. Though sometimes your body does not answer your mind's will, it always listens to it."

"I understand then...why it happened so often—...ohh, Sesshoumaru-sama," she achingly said, moving her hips subtly.

"Rin..." he huskily whispered. For another couple of minutes, he tended to her body, working up her arousal as her fingers followed the movements of his own. Then bending his knees, he pulled her down to the futon. She placed her knees on the smooth silk and leaned forward, fisting her hands in the sheet. He let his arousal slide between her thighs and continued to work her pearl underneath the pads of his fingers.

"Unhhh...Sesshoumaru-sama...please," she sighed, groaning down at the floor. Sesshoumaru, no longer seeing the wounds on her back, but rather, seeing his mate on her hands and knees, aroused and ready, felt more fervent and excited than he had yet been. He took hold of her hips as he shifted on his knees to position himself at her entrance. Pushing forward, he couldn't contain the growl of male satisfaction as he entered her body. The feelings he experienced when he made love to her were altogether overpowering, something that seemed to only happen to him with Rin. She moaned in reaction, arching her spine downward to give him the most access. Having Sesshoumaru inside her body was a shocking but pleasurable experience—and it never felt the same. Hitting home inside her, Sesshoumaru immediately pulled back again and shoved forward, his animal instinct at the edge of his consciousness. He thrust into her body and made sure her hips met him by pulling back with his hands. Breathing heavily from keeping his climax at bay, he still could not stop himself from appreciating the friction, which wasn't helping his cause.

Rin was gripping the sheet in her hands, her body jerking forward with every thrust. Loving the tight fit and the way he rubbed inside of her, she closed her eyes to concentrate on the feel of his length grating against the small sensitive spot above her entrance, filling her and stretching the walls of her body. She began to breathe erratically as she felt the first few tendrils of sensation uncurling in her stomach and let her head drop down between her arms. Sesshoumaru continued pumping his arousal into her body's tight muscles, feeling heat snaking its way up his length. Her mouth was open in a silent cry as her skin began to tingle in reaction to the pleasure about to roll down her body. Her breasts swung forward over arms stiff with strain.

"Harder, push harder, please...You feel so good," she sighed, feeling her womanhood pulsating with pleasure, though she wasn't yet to her climax. Sesshoumaru purred in reaction to her hot words, his arousal growing even more inside her body as he shoved in and out of her. He wanted to mirror her sentiment, but couldn't find his voice at the moment. He simply made love to her, plunging into her body and pausing to roll his hips once in a while, all the time pushing as fully as he could with each thrust.

"Sesshoumaru, _please_," she cried out, needing to finish soon. Her arms were getting tired and her thighs shook with tension. Sesshoumaru gripped her hips more tightly and picked up the pace, plunging into her body hard and fast. Growling as he felt the heat of his orgasm burning up along his length, he finally reached a high, dizzying peak and spilled inside her body, which welcomed the heat even as it thudded around him, clutching at his member. _God... Rin, how do you know what I love? Or maybe it's that I love everything you do._ Rin climaxed brutally, moaning down into the silk sheet as Sesshoumaru thrust a few more times, drawing out the gratifying pulsations before stopping at the mouth of her womb to finish. Her arms gave out, and her upper body met the futon. She turned her head to the side, gasping for air and noticing, for some reason, that the silk beneath her cheek was cool to the touch. Every time, it's different...

_Because I love him more each time._

Both took a couple of minutes to catch their breath and let their bodies return to normal before Sesshoumaru withdrew from her body and lied down on the futon, tired for the first time in a long time. She snuggled up against his chest, but landed a kiss on his mouth before closing her eyes and tucking her nose into the crook of his neck. Sesshoumaru reached behind her to find the edge of the sheet and pulled the other half over them.

"I...I wanted to say something before we retire for the night, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said, her voice muffled against his throat. She knew he heard her all the same, though. Hearing no response, she assumed that he meant for her to continue. "Those demons this morning... I remember six coming out of the tree line to the south, but we only found four bodies in total. Then...I wondered why they attacked us knowing that they had no chance against you." She waited for him to answer, but got nothing for a minute. Thinking that he wasn't going to say anything, she relaxed against him, ready to let sleep take her over.

"I wondered that as well, Rin," he finally answered, and his voice sounded daunting. She shuddered against him in fear of the unknown, but he draped his arm over her hip to squeeze her backside. "Now go to sleep. I will wake you in the morning." Rin let it go at that, knowing he would ponder the question all night. She fell asleep, thinking of the feel of him inside her body and growing warm with the memory of it.


	5. Chapter 5

n's head felt groggy and heavy when she became aware again of her surroundings. Taking a deeper breath, she shifted a bit to ease the pressure she was placing on her shoulder, making a small noise of discomfort as the abused joint rolled painfully inside its socket. Her body could tell that it was not time to get up yet, but three things told her that she had to get up before falling asleep again: first, she was thirsty; second, she had to use the bathroom; and third, she felt nauseous. Hoping that she'd be able to find the vial that Sesshoumaru had obtained for her in the dark, she popped an eye open. Lying on top of Sesshoumaru's chest and using his shoulder as a pillow, she could feel a breeze from the window on her right side and realized the window had blown ajar some time during the night. She didn't feel cold, though, because it was a summery night, and Sesshoumaru's body gave off a large amount of heat. Rin swallowed, feeling her stomach roll sickeningly.

"Go back to sleep, love," Sesshoumaru quietly said, sensing she was awake. She wondered sleepily how he could tolerate lying there for hours while she slept on him. She lifted her head slowly, taking a deep breath to attempt to calm her stomach. Swallowing again, then clearing her throat, she answered,

"I feel sick, Sesshoumaru-sama. Is the medicine you brought close by?" She felt him shift underneath her, and he pressed his hand to her forehead. He then held her closer with one arm, pressing a kiss to the top of her forehead.

"Your body temperature has risen, most likely because of the nausea. I will find the medicine. Go drink some water," he instructed. She wanted to say that she felt warm because she was lying on top of him, but decided to hold her tongue. Sitting up slowly and sliding from underneath her, Sesshoumaru came to a stand and assisted her to her feet. She could barely see the outline of the window, but the light was strong enough for her to see where she was going. Feeling her under-robe placed into her hands, she shrugged into it, tying the belt loosely. The candle in the room has long ago burned out, so she looked for a replacement in the cabinets near the back of the room. Finding one after a quick search, she picked up the candleholder that had been sitting on the ledge of the window and jammed the end of the new candle into the base. Sesshoumaru approached her again as she was about to walk to the outside hallway and light the candle on a torchlight. He held out his hand, which gripped the bottle of medicine she needed.

"Remember, one swallow only." He had donned his under-robe, but it was very loosely tied, and she noted to herself that he looked handsome like that. Taking the bottle from him, she took a single drink, sighing as the medicine coated her insides and calmed the nausea. She handed it back to him, and he corked the bottle, placing it on top of the bag that Sayo had brought in earlier. "Will you be all right by yourself?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," she whispered, padding over to the door. Sliding it open, she slid her feet into the slippers still sitting out in the hallway and found the nearest torchlight. Lighting the wick her candle, she was able to take care of her personal business, before slowly walking to the kitchen in an effort to keep quiet. Inside, she tiptoed past Sayo, who was snoring softly on her futon in the corner. Opening the side door of the kitchen, she exchanged her shoes once again to walk along the outside path to the well. The crickets were loud tonight, indicative of the tepid, humid night air. She set the candle on the planks around the well, bringing the bucket off of the well sill. She then lowered the bucket to the water below, slowly letting the rope slide through her fingers. After a small splash, she only let the bucket fill for a second or two and pulled up on the rope again. Heavier now, it took she a bit more effort than she had meant to give to bring the bucket up. She set it back on the sill next to the candle, catching her breath, and picked up the ladle hanging from the well's pavilion, which clicked against the wood as she unhooked it from the notch holding it up. Taking a ladle-full of water, she slowly sipped. A moderately strong breeze made its way into the complex, tugging at the edge of her under-robe, and she was about to drink a second ladle's worth of water when she noticed how quiet it suddenly became. _That's strange..._

Holding the ladle in her hand, she realized that the crickets' sound was gone...completely. Her hand began to shake. Why would they suddenly stop chirping? Hearing a slight rumble in the distance, she dropped the ladle and stood up, turning to face the protective wall. Thunder? The mansion had an all-encompassing, fifteen-foot wall with rarely used, small, secret entrance since coming and going was done through the use of flight. _The undergrowth might have already taken that passage, anyway._ A hundred feet of densely packed forest separated Rin and the wall. Trees still grew within the wall to keep the mansion hidden, but before now, Rin had never felt unsafe here. No human or demon, however rarely they found this place by pure accident, had dared to attempt invasion of such a formidable area, especially if they figured out who lived here. Picking up the candle, she made a hasty retreat back to the kitchen. Inside, she slid the door closed, and turned to find Sayo sitting up, rubbing her eyes.

"S-sorry for waking you. I was getting a d-drink of water," she softly stuttered. "Please, go back to sleep. I d-don't need anything." She cupped her hand around the candle's light to block it from a draft wafting in through the kitchen's open window. Sayo, too tired to hear the fright in Rin's voice, merely nodded and eased herself back down to the cot. "G'nite," she called quietly before leaving the kitchen. She more quickly made her way to the bedroom, heart pounding with anxiety. Once she was finally in Sesshoumaru's room, she found him looking out the window again. Not turning towards her, he said,

"Did you hear the change, Rin?" This made Rin pause, and she wondered if Sesshoumaru knew that something was coming, too. She slid her feet out of the slippers and stepped into the room, sliding the door closed behind her.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama. The crickets stopped." She blew out the candle, suddenly worried that someone might see the light, and set the candle-holder on a low table set against the wall. Hoping that the change in environment was not due to invading humans or demons, she stood next to her Sesshoumaru-sama, looking at his face in the half-light of the waning moon.

"A storm is approaching. The crickets have hidden away in shelter," he commented, raising his hands to close the shutters. Suddenly feeling stupid for being afraid, she let out a relieved sigh, the tension leaving her shoulders. She saw Sesshoumaru take off his under-robe in the darkness of the room, and felt it safe to blush without him noticing. _He'll always make me blush._ He folded the under-robe and placed it to the side of the futon, where he lied down, seemingly ready to end the conversation and go back to bed. Rin padded over to him, shrugging out of her under-robe and placing it on top of Sesshoumaru's. Setting her hip on the futon and stretching out over his side, she set her cheek on his shoulder as he pulled the silk sheet over their bodies.

"It's silly, Sesshoumaru-sama, but when the crickets were suddenly quiet while I was at the well, I thought that..." she paused, wondering if such a comment was really all that important. She felt Sesshoumaru nudge her, and realized that he wanted her to continue. "I thought that more demons were after us," she softly said before lightly laughing. _It does seem silly, doesn't it?_ She felt his arm tighten around her shoulders.

"You are safe here, Rin. I'll keep you safe," Sesshoumaru firmly said, smoothing a hand down her side over the sheet. Setting his hand possessively on her buttock, he landed a kiss to the top of her head. "Now go back to sleep." Making an agreeing noise, Rin closed her eyes and settled against Sesshoumaru's body. As she fell asleep, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but softly stroke the flesh under his hand, and in the distance, he could hear thunder from the imminent storm.

-_Later_-

There was a single clap of thunder, loud enough to vibrate the walls of the mansion. Rin jerked awake, her heart fluttering inside her ribs. She looked to the window and saw the faint light of day from the slits in the window's shutters, intermittently interrupted by flashes of lightning. The sound of thunder and pounding rain indicated a heavy downpour. Looking up at Sesshoumaru, she saw him calmly contemplating her and inched up his body to press a kiss to his lips.

"Good morning, Sesshoumaru-sama. I hear that the storm has arrived," she said as her mind slowly cleared. It probably wasn't yet time for breakfast. Feeling his hand on her hip, she brushed her hand over his chest to his shoulder.

"So it has. Did you sleep well?" she nodded, having propped her head up on an elbow pressed to the futon.

"I feel safe with you, Sesshoumaru-sama. Sleep comes easier when I'm with you." Rin lightly bit down on her lower lip, contemplating a question she wanted to ask. Clearing her throat, she looked at her hand on his shoulder as it played with a few strands of his silvery hair. "Do...do you remember...that night...about a year ago? I had been having a dream, and when I woke up...you were sitting nearby, but then...then left after a minute? I just...I wanted to know..." Her heart was beating so fast that she decided to just stop. _Hopefully he understands what I'm trying to say...it's obvious that I don't._

"I know of what you speak. I could easily pick up your arousal. By then, I was already attracted to you, and it was difficult not to react to your body's needs," he boldly said, which got her looking at him again. "After that night until the day of the hot springs, I often had to find privacy in order to act out the things I wanted to do to you." Her face blushed brightly at this, but she was inwardly delighted to know that he had desired her body for as long a time as she had desired his. Sliding her hand away from his shoulder, down his warm chest and smooth stomach, she found his manhood, already half-erect, and wrapped her hand around it.

"What sorts of things, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she said quietly, feeling his breathing grow deeper underneath her bare chest. Squeezing his length gently, she was proud to feel it rapidly increasing in size and length. Sesshoumaru tugged on the band holding her hair in a braid, and filled his hands with the silky mass, fanning it out until it curled slightly and bounced around her face. She brought her lips close to his, looking into his eyes as he answered,

"I often dreamed of slipping underneath your blankets at the campsite while you were asleep and delving between your thighs while I watched your shocked reaction in the firelight." She swallowed, moving her hand a bit faster over his arousal, which was close to being fully erect. Her heartbeat was close to choking her. She brushed her lips against his before drawing away a couple of inches. That certainly would have shocked me.

"What else, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin wanted to know his fantasies, to know what he craved...so that she could surprise him with their fulfillment someday.

"Ambushing you on one of your trips to the flower fields and pulling you down into the grass. I would hold your thighs apart and find my pleasure between them. Or intercepting you returning from a bath...I wanted to hold you down over the root of a tree while I mounted you from behind," he ground out, finding it hard to speak while she was manipulating him with her hand. Rin pulled herself over Sesshoumaru's body, releasing the warm member from her hand to brace her forearms against the futon. Feeling his hands smooth up her sides and cup her breasts, she closed her eyes, focusing on how his fingers brought her nipples to rosy little peaks. She dropped light kisses onto his lips, feeling him bring his knees up behind her. Gasping against his mouth upon feeling his arousal gently prodding the inlet of her body, she brought her lips away, opening her eyes to see his covetous gaze.

"I hope that someday, master, you'll carry out those dreams with me," she whispered. "I...I didn't know the exact details of mating before now, but I had seen my cousin kissing a girl once when I was very young. After the night of the dream, I wanted to kiss you very badly." She would have said a few words more, but Sesshoumaru brought his hand to the back of her head and pushed her mouth against his. Slanting the kiss across her lips, making them swell and blush under the assault, he brought his hand away to cup her breast again, thumbing the tight peaks. Rin gladly pulled his tongue into her mouth, sliding her own tongue along his and moaning into the kiss. Skimming his hands back down her sides, Sesshoumaru held her left hip in one hand while the other angled his straining length towards her damp and slowly pulsing entrance. She pulled away from the kiss, and rose up a tad higher on her knees so that only her chest still touched Sesshoumaru.

"Was this one of your dreams, Sesshoumaru-sama? To have me lying over you, ready for you?" she huskily said as she gripped one of his shoulders. The hand that had been holding her hip slid underneath her now-raised pelvis, sliding down her lips and spreading her open. She closed her eyes, softly moaning.

"One of my favorites, Rin," he purred, pushing into her body. Her mouth fell open in a silent cry as he penetrated her, pressed snugly against her body's walls. She felt him push her hips back to meet his pelvis, seating her fully on his arousal. Holding the silk sheet in her hands on either side of Sesshoumaru's head, she slid her lips down his jawline, squeezing her inner muscles over the thick length buried inside her body. Hearing and feeling the growl he made, she pulled her body forward and then pushed it back down, setting a pace fast enough to stimulate but not fast enough to satisfy. Noticing quite well how the peaks of her breasts brushed against his chest, she felt them distend again into tight buds.

"Tell me more of them, Sesshoumaru-sama," she gasped out, her hair brushing over his shoulders as she moved over him. Squeezing him at the right moments, she watched his face as his body took over his mind. He bucked his hips into she as she sank down upon him again, grunting underneath her. She pressed open-mouthed kisses to his collarbone and neck, savoring the feel of his hands riding her hips. Sesshoumaru was so close to climax that even speaking out loud more of his fantasies might have been enough to pitch him over the edge. For a few long, drawn-out minutes, he fought to keep his body from climaxing too quickly. Rin had been paying attention to all of his tricks and was surely trying them all out.

She would stop after a dozen thrusts and swivel her hips in a small circle, biting her lip and issuing small noises from the back of her throat. Then adjusting where her knees pressed into the futon, she would resume her body's frenzied movements and experiment with her inner muscles. At one point, she was too enthusiastic and pulled right off of him. She gasped in surprise and disappointment, and her hand quickly squirmed down between their bodies. Locating what she sought, she held him still as she sank onto his length again, sighing,

"That's better..." Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth, searching for any store of strength or control he could muster. Her way of making love was quickly becoming too much for him. She began again, a little more conservatively, but she also started to experiment with the angle of her pelvis, searching for the one that brought him deepest. On the fourth try, she pushed him inside again and, finding that more force was necessary, bucked her hips down, which butted the head of his phallus against the deepest spot in her body. She loudly gasped, a little astounded, and then shuddered, moaning with a high voice. She finally began a steady pace, which was fast and caused the most lewd noises.

"_Yeah_...this is good, right? Sesshoumaru-sama," she moaned out, gripping the silk sheet in her fists. She could hear the sheet rustling over her back, and the liquid smack of her body as it collided repeatedly against him. She went as fast as she could, and her voice held a long, even note, which shook due to the vibrations. "T-tell me more of them, please," she breathlessly said. Finding his last ounce of control as he pushed up into her tight muscles, Sesshoumaru gruffly responded,

"In the middle of the night...when we were alone in the forest...I wanted to push up the skirt of your kimono and pin you against a tree with your legs around my hips." Growling as the heated sensation of orgasm clawed up his length, Sesshoumaru held his mate's pelvis down where he needed it the most, glad to hear her gasp, followed by a groan. Feeling her body fluttering and pulsating around his arousal, he quite gratefully emptied his seed into her safekeeping, taking in huge amounts of air as ropes of pleasure held him and his voice still. Her knuckles were white from gripping the silk sheet, but she felt languorous from the tingly, throbbing sensation that had just gripped her body. Sprawled over Sesshoumaru, she couldn't suppress a satisfied smile.

-_One Month Later_-

Rin sat on the side porch of the mansion, watching the trees sway in the day's strong winds. Her belly was only slightly rounder, barely noticeable at all, but she liked to run her hand over it once in a while, as if she were touching her child. Sayo had been good enough to take Ah-Un on a day trip to the nearest village, which took half a day's ride to reach, so that Rin could have more of the medicine for quelling a pregnant mother's morning sickness. She would also pick up more cloth for Rin to sew as she rounded with child, some spices for their meals, and more candles. Rin had wanted to go along, but Sesshoumaru firmly forbade it. Instead, he had sent Jaken with the old servant. Jaken didn't mind Sayo, though; she was as silent and expressionless as Sesshoumaru usually was.

Rin could feel Sesshoumaru looking at her from the sliding door behind her, and called back to him,

"It's a beautiful day, Sesshoumaru-sama." She smiled as she felt him sit down, sidling up behind her with his legs outside her own. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back to lean against his chest, sharing a quiet, affectionate moment with her. Rin, in that moment, recalled the many times they had made love for the past weeks: at least twice a day, although usually it was four times. She actually had to ask for a couple of days to let her muscles have a break from all the extra work.

Once her back had fully healed, she would wake up in the mornings to a demon paying her special attention between her thighs. Whenever she tried to return the favor, he usually stopped her before his release and push his way inside her body before he let loose his seed. Though they spent most of the day quietly talking or simply being in each other's company, usually with Sesshoumaru watching her as she sewed something or gazed out the window, every few hours would bring another delightful confrontation in their bedroom. It was as if he couldn't get his fill of her.

"Yes, it is a beautiful day." With it being close to noon, her stomach was ready for a snack to tide her over until dinnertime, but she stayed in Sesshoumaru's arms for another few minutes. Feeling his hands brush over her stomach lovingly, she closed her eyes as she sat there, imagining him holding their child for the first time, and the look he might have on his face.

Turning her head slightly to tuck her nose into the crook of his neck, Rin nuzzled the flesh there, which prompted one of his hands to skim its way up to cup her breast, massaging it gently until he could feel the crest distend under his touch through the fabric of the kimono. Tilting her head back to meet him, she held the side of his face as he tenderly kissed her, rubbing her other hand over the forearm wrapped around her waist. _My husband is as lustful as ever._ Gently disengaging from him once she felt his body reacting against her back, she came to a stand on the ground next to the side porch. Looking at him, she saw the longing in his eyes, but nonchalantly explained her interruption of their play.

"I'm going to get something to eat. Does Sesshoumaru-sama wish to keep me company?" He made no obvious answer, but he brought himself to a stand and helped Rin step up onto the porch. Inside the kitchen, she found the covered bowl of rice balls that Sayo had made before she left. Taking one, she brought it to the low table with a cup of water, and sat across from Sesshoumaru, who was sitting quite regally on the other side.

"I have come to the conclusion that the attack a month ago was not a fluke. I need to find the perpetrators and dispose of them," he resolutely said, his voice flat. She paused, having just swallowed her first bite, and put the rice ball down, glad that she was able to keep her hand from shaking. _He's going to make me stay here. I won't be able to come along like every time before and he might be gone for months like he always is._ She didn't understand why, but she felt like crying. _What's wrong with me? It's not like he won't come back, and why am I suddenly so emotional?_

"Are...you saying that you're leaving?" she shakily said, her voice wavering a bit. She wanted to punch herself in the thigh for being so weak. His icy resolution seemed to melt a bit and his posture relaxed somewhat.

"Yes, I'm leaving. If anything were to happen to you-"

"But I've always been with you! There's nothing different about the situation now!" she yelled, slapping her hands onto the table and rising to her knees. Her mood had swung from weepy to angry.

"Everything's different, Rin," he responded, his voice very low. "You're now my lover, my mate...the mother of my child. Before, you were very precious to me, but now, you're..." He trailed off, breaking eye contact.

"I'm what?" she asked with an ache in her voice. She pushed the rice ball to the end of the table, leaning over it to draw his gaze. Seeing his eyes glance into hers, she asked her question again. Sesshoumaru leaned forward, his silvery hair falling forward to graze the tabletop.

"If I lost you, I would be broken," he said very quietly, barely above a whisper. Her moods swung once more, and she felt weepy again. _I've never heard him say anything like that. He rarely admits a vulnerability to anyone, even me._ Holding back her tears, she leaned forward to meet him across the table, holding his jaw in her hand and pressing an open-mouthed kiss to his lips. Sensing he wanted to go further, she broke off the kiss and leaned back again. He no longer looked icy or impassive. Rather he looked very heated, and most likely had his mind on one thing only. She was hungry, though, and simply sat down, picking up her rice ball again.

If Sesshoumaru was disappointed, he didn't say so. He simply sat down again, watching her eat the food. After swallowing the last of her snack and washing it down with water, she stood up to wash the cup and place it back in its cupboard. His eyes followed her, wanting to have her again. _Why can't I get enough of her? I want her more now than I did when I found her in the hot springs._ Seeing her finish drying her hands, he was quite ready to pull her onto the table, but she began to walk towards the kitchen door into the mansion.

"Rin..." he said, telling her with a single, lustful tone what he wanted. She stop to coyly smile at him over her shoulder.

"I had been thinking of a trip to the bathhouse today, Sesshoumaru-sama. I expect I'll be returning along the south path in about half an hour." With that, she had to suppress a giggle by biting down on her lower lip due to the subtle way in which his face changed from lustful to carnal. Turning back towards the door, she walked to their bedroom, finding a clean under-robe (although it wouldn't be clean for long) and her soap on a string. Putting her kimono away to be washed, she began her walk to the bathhouse, unable to keep the smile off of her face.

Hearing the crunch of the twigs and old leaves from last fall under her sandaled feet as she took a leisurely stroll to the bathhouse under the shady canopy of the trees, she felt more easily the strong, warm breeze that was infiltrating the complex that day since she was wearing only her under-robe. Half-expecting Sesshoumaru to grab her off of the path before she even got to the bathhouse, Rin was a bit disappointed when she arrived within a minute without her very-much-wanted assault. The bathhouse was a solid, wooden structure with an easily lit stove, a pile of dry wood to feed it, and covered tubs full of water ready for whomever. She had always wondered how Sayo could manage to fill the tubs again every time one was used: it took five trips from the well to fill up a tub.

Sliding open the door, she stepped inside the bathhouse, which was humid and a little stuffy from being closed on such a hot day. Only the shade of the trees over its roof kept it from becoming stifling. The inside smelled like hot coals and wood. Not needing to heat up the water that day, she was able to take a bath without preparing a fire first. She bathed quickly, wanting to be done with it, and spent a few minutes toweling her hair so that she could braid it. Drying off her body and dumping the water, she threw on her under-robe again, carrying the soap and towel back with her as she opened the door of the bathhouse again. Looking out, she saw a few birds flit away into the air, and stepped out, glad for the breeze that came rushing around the corner of the building. Returning along the south path, her heart was thumping with excitement since she was expecting Sesshoumaru to jump out to get her at any second, but as she came within sight of the mansion, her hopes were falling fast. _Was I too subtle?_

Bowing her head as she trudged towards the mansion, she thought she heard what sounded like footsteps, and looked up. _Huh?_ The mansion, still in front of her, looked clear as day and nothing was out of the ordinary. _I could have that swore he understood what I meant, though._ She had been hoping it was her master, but he obviously wasn't there in front of her. When two arms suddenly reached around from behind to tightly wrap themselves underneath her breasts, she giggled, dropping her soap and towel. She let Sesshoumaru drag her off the south path and into the forest. With her knees hooked over his forearm and her hands linked behind his neck, she watched as they went further into the woods surrounding the mansion, but still within the complex wall.

"Did you have a spot already picked out?" she asked quietly, joking. Her smile didn't seem to penetrate, though, and he looked down at her with heavy-lidded eyes, still as carnal as when she left.

"As a matter of fact," he purred, looking up again, "I did." She looked in front of her again, and saw a tall, ancient tree, gnarled and twisted, but very much alive. Its branches seemed to have grown in random directions, and the roots of the tree... Although the majority were probably deep underground, a few dozen were poking out of the ground, warping into odd shapes like fingers from a hand-most definitely the perfect spot for what Sesshoumaru had in mind. In her younger days when she would explore the small area of forest within Sesshoumaru's complex, she had only seen this tree a couple of times, not wandering too close to it since it seemed a bit out of place. Now, feeling her womanhood grow heavy and heated, she felt a small measure of the exhilaration that Sesshoumaru was feeling and could only see the image in her mind of what they would soon be doing on the roots of such a tree. A strong, warm breeze found its way through the forest, making the leaves above rustle loudly as the wind tossed about his silky hair.

Walking halfway around the tree and stepping between two overgrown roots, he set her on her feet and let his hands glide from her hips to her breasts. Cupping them and brushing the pads of his thumbs over their sensitive tips, Sesshoumaru watched, fascinated, as her nipples distended beneath the cloth and dented outward towards him. She slid her hands over his wrists, looking up at him with her mouth open as she tried to breathe past the lump in her throat. He seemed to have more control over his excitement now, which disappointed her, but she knew it wouldn't stay that way for long. Reaching down to untie her under-robe, her hands at with his words,

"Not yet." She watched as he dropped to one knee and slid his hand to her back. Pulling her forward so that she would lean down, Sesshoumaru tilted his head up and used his other hand to reveal the peak of one breast. Molding his lips around it, he pulled gently on the crest, earning a sigh from his mate. She watched as her vision blurred and filmed over. A soft but heady warmth spread through her body from the exact point where he suckled, and she wrapped one arm around his shoulder as he sapped the strength from her legs, flicking the nipple a few times for good measure. Pulling the cloth off of her other breast, he laved his tongue over it, blowing air on the moisture left by his tongue to chill the tip until it budded for him. She slid her hand into his hair, holding the back of his head while he played with the rosebud in front of him. Letting her eyes drift shut, she bit back a moan, feeling restless as her master took his time. She listened to the birds, the breeze, and the sounds of his mouth, all the while making a few indistinct noises herself.

"Mmhhh...S-...Sesshoumaru-sama." Feeling her cheeks blush from the day's heat and from the warmth of his mouth, she gasped upon feeling his hand at the back of her thigh. He landed a final kiss to her left breast, having made them blush with abuse, and his other hand drifted to her other thigh. He stood, both hands sliding up to possessively hold her back end. Now that the skirt of her clothing was near her waist, he pulled his hands up to hold her hips and he leaned down for an open-mouthed kiss, letting her hand untie the belt of his under-robe.

His arousal was tight with excitement, and he wanted nothing more at that moment than to be inside her. Looping her other arm around his neck, she brought herself up on her toes to lean into the kiss. Her left fingers finally broke the knot in his belt, and his clothing loosened, which allowed her to slide her hand inside as his tongue slid into her mouth. With the backs of her fingers, she explored the bumps of his trim stomach muscles, warm to the touch and smooth. Then fanning out her fingers and turning her hand, she gripped his side, finding only firm skin and muscle, all toned and lean.

_I need to go faster._

Rin straightened her arm as she shoved it farther down into her mate's clothing, seeking the flesh that she wanted to have within her own body very soon. Finding it hard and erect, pointed straight out from his hips, she hesitantly wrapped her fingers around it, not sure if he wanted this at the moment. Sesshoumaru turned his head slightly, deepening their kiss as his hair cascaded down his shoulder onto her.

She felt him widen his stance and push into her hand. Feeling as if the tables had turned from the last time they were in this particular setting in this particular situation, she conceded and began moving her left hand, meeting his small thrusts. Needing air, she pulled away from his kiss, and instead watched his face. Rarely did anything get him as worked up enough to tint his cheeks a lovely shade of pink than what she was doing now. It was one act that he couldn't stand for long.

She felt his heavy breaths against her cheek, avidly listening for every time the air caught in his throat. In the background was the noise of her hand, moving at a moderate pace and smacking into his pelvis. She felt a welcome breeze against her right wrist, hitting Sesshoumaru from behind, and it carried the scent of the forest trees surrounding them. His hands tightened on her hips.

_"Rin."_ Sesshoumaru pulled one hand away from her hips, reaching between their bodies as he forced his own to stop moving, and grabbed hold of her wrist, silently telling her that he wanted to move on. Rin, whole-heartedly agreeing since she was aching for him, reached down to hold her clothing up as she turned away from him. She was more than ready, feeling wet and warm between her legs. She spread her stance and leaned over the tree root that had been behind her, taking a deep breath upon feeling his hands on her hips once again. His pelvis came close to her backside, and she could feel his length teasing her entrance.

"Please, Sesshoumaru-sama," she groaned, her voice raspy with need. He rolled his hips slowly, brushing himself against her. He squeezed an inch into her body, but then pulled out, rubbing the tip over and between her lips. He did this several times, each wresting out a dissatisfied moan from his mate. Feeling his tip push inside her again, she called his name when the tip slipped out again.

"Do you want me inside of you, Rin? Tell me," he purred, his deep voice tinged with a bit of huskiness. She bit down on her lower lip, feeling his length rubbing against the ache between her legs.

"Y-yes, Sesshoumaru-sama. Please!" she gasped out, unable to take a full breath when her stomach was pressed over the root. Finally feeling Sesshoumaru push himself into her body, she gave a high, short moan and propelled her hips back as best as she could from her position. He entered her slowly, squeezing into her body and bearing down on her until the tops of her thighs butted against the tree root. He rubbed her posterior with both hands, pulling himself back out just as agonizingly slow as when he came into her body. He kept up that pace, slow and full, until Rin was so frustrated that she bucked back against him, groaning.

"Not so fast," he said. He held her hips against the tree root to keep them from moving and increased the pace only slightly. Sweat was dripping down his back from the strain of holding back, and he leaned down over her as he pumped himself in and out of her body. Nuzzling aside the braid to reveal the nape of her neck, he saw the beginnings of the scars where he had marked her as his mate, and licked the revealed skin. Knowing he couldn't keep this up for more than another minute, he sped up. Her hands, already tense as they rested against the root, fisted with tension. _Master..._

Pulling out of her, he smirked when he heard her gasp.

"S-Sesshoumaru-sama! Why?" she huskily said, looking back at him with a pained expression on her face. Looking ahead again, she restlessly moved her rear, inviting him to continue as she begged him to take her. When she felt his hands on her hips, she sighed in relief, but he reached forward to take her arm. Pulling her towards him away from the tree root, he ignored her protests, very much aware of her need and his own. He then pushed her back against the tree trunk between its two overgrown roots.

Her breasts, rosy from his mouth, bounced in plain view, still exposed despite the under-robe that Rin still had on her shoulders, and she raised her hands in uncertainty. Sesshoumaru reached down and gripped the backs of her thighs, lifting her, and she quickly grabbed onto his shoulders, not wanting to lose her balance as he propped her against the tree trunk. Finally seeing that he was just changing positions, she eagerly wrapped her legs around his waist, clamping her thighs together. She reached down between them since he was supporting her weight with his hands underneath her backside, and placed his throbbing, slick member into position.

He immediately drove into her and kept up a fast pace, leaning forward to taste the skin over her collarbone. Rin clutched his shoulders, breathing fast as her body jerked upwards in his arms from the force of his thrusts. She could feel the rough bark of the tree through the back of her under-robe as it grated against her.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she sighed, her voice breaking with every jolt to her body. The long, thick arousal pumping in and out of her body felt unquestionably sinful, and she couldn't help but imagine how they must look from afar. A demon lord mating with a human female against a tree, her legs wrapped around his waist as he shoved his way into her body. She held on for dear life because her climax was definitely at the edge of her mind and body, ready to leap at her. Sesshoumaru pulled her hips a little ways out from the trunk, finding a new slant and driving towards it. His haori had fallen down his shoulders, and the added sensation of his own hair brushing against his shoulders only stacked on top of the feelings in his body, rather than distracting him.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" she cried out, not even thinking of the bruises she would have later. Sesshoumaru only went faster, loving the way her calves bounced behind him despite her efforts to stay still.

"Don't stop...ohhhh...don't stop!" she screamed. She heard him give a long rough groan, and his legs must have straightened themselves as his body tensed up because she felt her back ride higher on the trunk. Just as predicted, her climax rushed at her from nowhere, and she felt a high, violent orgasm ripping down her body to the place between her legs where Sesshoumaru was jammed. She heard him moan against her throat, and his warm seed filled her body. She sighed, high and breathy, almost like an outward gasp, and her lower body jerked involuntarily. They stayed there, frozen, for perhaps only ten seconds, and then Sesshoumaru thrust into her a few more times, working the last of his essence out.

Rin could feel her leg muscles failing her, and was in danger of losing the moment, but Sesshoumaru pulled her away from the tree trunk to sink to his knees, setting Rin's behind on his thighs and wrapping his arms around her as he attempted to catch his breath. Her feet dropped to the ground. She vaguely noticed that one of her sandals was no longer on her foot. Feeling his hand slip underneath the back of her under-robe, she laid her head on his shoulder, very tired but very satisfied. She felt Sesshoumaru pressing kisses to her shoulder, and he reached up to set the pads of his fingers over the scars on her back. Sliding them down, e smiled against her neck when he heard her gasp. She stiffened in his arms, feeling a second, smaller orgasm travel through her inner muscles. Her thighs tightened for a few seconds, and she gripped the cloth still stretched across his back, shakily sighing through the pleasure.

"The connection is getting strong enough for this. I can now give this to you after we make love. Someday, it will strengthen the pleasure for both of us during the actual mating," he said into her ear. Her muscles eventually quieted down, and she tried to pull herself closer to his body, encircling his shoulders with her arms. Clearing her throat, she asked,

"When...when I pass on, how will you find me again?" She was a little frightened to be talking of the time when she died, but her curiosity was intense. When Rin was very young, still with her parents, she thought her parents would never die and that she wouldn't die, either, but her parents did die, gasping as the disease filled their lungs and clogged their throats. She always wondered why she had not become infected as well. Only she and another had survived, but the other had long ago left the village, having no family left. Rin eventually found a new village, but no one accepted her, thinking she had some sort of mental illness since she didn't speak, and she was lived in an abandoned shack down by the edge of town. Then...one day...she found something special...

Sesshoumaru held her tighter, wondering what this sad and lonely feeling was spreading in his mind.

"Your reincarnation will have the same markings on her back, and she will feel an irresistible pull towards wherever I am, as I will feel the same pull towards her. She should return to me within 15 years or so of your passing, unless something hinders her, in which case, I will find her," he explained calmly.

"But...will she remember anything?" she asked, voicing her greatest fear.

"Once I find her, if you and I have made a connection strong enough, I can simply touch her, and your memories will return to her, having been stored within your soul for the duration of your absence." He dropped more kisses onto her shoulder, but she had more questions for him.

"When she is born, won't her parents see the markings? Will they know what they are for? Will they try to stop her?"

"I doubt that knowledge of this practice is known among humans. They will think it is a birth mark." Rin closed her eyes, her heart finally at ease, and she relaxed against her master.

After a few moments of silence, the two finally left the forest, returning to their home. Rin took a nap while Sesshoumaru spooned up behind her, sponging up these last few moments with his mate before his departure the next morning. They still had a few hours before sunset and the return of his servants, so he spent the time while she was asleep thinking of what to do once she woke up.


	6. Chapter 6

When Rin woke up from her nap the day that Sayo and Jaken were visiting the village, the day before her master was going to leave her, she turned onto her other side inside his arms, wanting to be closer to the warmth of his body despite the ever-expanding heat of the day. His arm draped over her once again after she finished shifting, and Rin, hoping to lie there for a few more minutes, closed her eyes.

_I won't be able to do this for a while after tonight. Sesshoumaru-sama..._

Though Sesshoumaru had not felt much else besides a growing desire for Rin while she slept, her recent movements somehow evoked the same sadness in him again. He was utterly confused. He was, of course, regretful that she would be alone in this almost empty house for several months, but the intensity of the melancholy was...almost unbearable.

_Perhaps it's her..._

Sesshoumaru recalled his father's teachings once again. He was a hot-headed youth, angry at his father for taking on a new woman, but the great Demon Lord of the Western Lands would not stand for any complaints from Sesshoumaru. He found that out the hard way. Needless to say, his father was stubbornly standing by his decision, and while Sesshoumaru was down for the count, having exchanged blows with his father over the whole ordeal, Inutaisho stood over him with a frown on his face.

"Son, you will see someday why this woman is important to me. I know you will still show her and her descendants contempt, but know this—for you will need the information, I am sure, no matter what female you choose for your own..."

"Humans are weak, father. She will destroy you!" He had vehemently yelled, desperate to preserve their family's line, their pedigree. He clutched at his side, feeling that his ribs were temporarily broken.

"Humans have more power than we will ever possess, son." Inutaisho slowly knelt down, as graceful as is expected from the demon nobility, his long mane of white hair dripping down to the ground. His expression was almost cold, and Sesshoumaru lamented in seeing it, for it meant that he was at his most serious.

"I don't believe that," Sesshoumaru ground out, grimacing as his ribs painfully mended together again.

"Neither did I, but now I see that my new mate is all-powerful, and today I shall teach you of the marking ceremony and the Sealing Ritual that follows..."

His father laid out the procedures, all the while listening as his son winced with pain. Sesshoumaru had wondered then if his father had turned soft and no longer took pride in his demon blood or his demon son, but now he understood...far too well. Rin had a hold on him that he could not explain, but he was all too happy to revel in her tight embrace.

Seeing that she was near to being fully awake, he was stiff with need after having mulled over more of his fantasies of her while she was napping. He lifted his arm from her waist again and sought out the hem of her under-robe, which now had a few sap stains on the back. Slipping his hand underneath, he smoothed his palm up her thigh, over her hip and along her side to the nape of her neck. Rin was quite conscious of how he was exposing her lower half, but she didn't move all the same.

_If I can sense my lover's sadness...then this must work._

He pressed a small kiss to her temple and then set the pads of his fingers over the nape of her neck. Concentrating, he ever so lightly moved his fingers down her back, following the scars. She gasped as her eyes shot open, and she stiffened against him.

_W-what's happening? Sesshoumaru-sama..._

With one movement, he had brought her body into full arousal, and she was very aware of the warm wetness between her thighs. Her brain suddenly pounded with blood, as if she had received a massive migraine, but instead of bringing pain, it brought an intense ache that centered itself in her lower torso. Feeling little drops of perspiration on her forehead, she groaned and wrapped her arms around Sesshoumaru, pulling herself flush against his body. Bringing one leg over his hip, she pressed her pelvis against his, grinding her hips against the hardness there.

"H—how?" she asked, breathing fast. She rubbed against her master as he suckled at her earlobe and held her lower half tightly against him with a hand on her lower back. "I feel as if...as if I'll burn away like paper if you don't make love to me, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"It's the same power of connection as earlier today. It adds fuel to the fire, so to speak." All the while as he spoke, he dropped kisses onto her neck and shoulder. "After making love, it brings the fire back to life for a while. Before, it causes the kindling to smolder before it bursts into flame," he explained, moving his mouth to the dip in Rin's neck as he inched down her body. Rin held the base of his head, splaying her fingers in his glossy hair. Feeling the skin on her chest meet open air, she realized that he had pushed most of her under-robe off of her so that only her shoulder was still partially covered.

"And during mating, Sesshoumaru-sama? What happens then?" she breathlessly asked as he nuzzled and licked at the flesh between her breasts. His voice was muffled against her chest as he answered,

"A campfire becomes a bonfire, love." Trailing his tongue down her ribs to her belly button, he pushed her onto her back, and settled between her legs. He breathed in, savoring the natural aphrodisiacal scent that her body produced. Kissing her thighs and holding her hips, he looked up at Rin, whose face was turned towards the ceiling with her eyes closed.

"Will I ever be able to...add fuel, as you said...to do that to you?" she asked, fisting her hands in the sheet underneath her. She set the bottoms of her feet on the futon, arching her legs over his shoulders.

"Yes, very soon," he said, bringing his mouth down to her core. She bit her lower lip, feeling his fingers delicately spread her open. Laving up the center, he felt her body tense up, and a low sigh issued from her mouth. Pressing his lips against her, he delved his tongue down and glided it back up, lightly touching the most sensitive part. Doing this again, he felt her fingers on his head, combing through his hair and clenching her hands around locks of it.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she whispered, her hands tightening again. "Right there..." He located the bead of nerves and pressed his tongue against it, rolling it underneath the tip. Her thighs squeezed closer together, buffering either side of his head, and Sesshoumaru increased the pressure of his mouth. "S-so good," she said in a tight voice. Making love to her with his mouth, he pushed his tongue in and out, and listened to his mate's voice rise in timber. Eventually, her thighs were so tightly pressed against his head that he couldn't hear much, but it didn't matter. He tasted as much of her as he could, memorizing the sweetness of it. She gasped, crying out her master's name. She tried bucking up into his mouth, but he firmly held her hips down, keeping them fixed onto the futon.

As soon as her taste began to change in that wonderfully subtle way, he reached his hands up, and carefully slid his hands between her thighs, prying them open. She gave after a second or two of resistance, looking down her body at him as he raised his head.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked hesitantly. She brought her hands back near her chest. He almost predatorily rose up to his hands and knees. He licked his lips and then wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, breathing hard and looking absolutely sinful with his sultry eyes. Creeping up her body, the curtain of his silvery hair was draped around his shoulders and flowed along the line of her body as he crawled. She felt a shiver vibrate up her spine despite the day's heat, and diverted her eyes in a bit of sudden embarrassment. He sunk down onto her soft body, butting the head of his member against her. She heard a soft laugh above her and opened her eyes to look at Sesshoumaru, but he had already lowered his head to gently bruise the skin over her collarbone. She squeezed her thighs against his hips and placed her hands on his shoulders, letting her eyelids drift shut again.

"When will you no longer be nervous, Rin?" he asked with a note of amusement in his tone. Her eyes slowly opened again and she stared at the cabinet set against the wall next to them. He bruised her skin again, sucking on her neck as he subtly moved his hips, rubbing the tip of his engorged arousal over and between her lips.

"You are sometimes overwhelming, Sesshoumaru-sama, but I love you that way," she sighed. She felt Sesshoumaru smile against her neck, and wished that she could have seen it.

"I love you that way as well." He lifted his head, showing her those lustful, gold eyes, and licked his lips again as those eyes dropped down to look at her lips. "I've tasted one set...I think I'd like to taste the other as well." She wrapped legs around his hips, eagerly opening her mouth for his kiss. She vaguely noted a different taste in his mouth, but the warm arousal prodding against her was too distracting, and she only wished for it to be buried deep in her belly.

"Try it, Rin...same place on my body, three fingers," he muttered, taking her lips in another kiss. She felt his hand over her heart as she swept his long hair off of his back and placed three fingers on the nape of his neck. When his long, hot length squeezed into her body, her thighs clenched automatically, but she hesitated in moving her hand. As he gently ended the kiss, he fixed his golden gaze on her, staring into her warm, brown eyes. Holding eye contact with her, he pulled out partially before sinking back in with a firm thrust. Wanting to feel the heartbeat under his hand pound with arousal, he whispered down to her,

"Do you know how good you feel? So tight..." Keeping up a unhurried pace, not thrusting hard but thrusting deeply, he rolled his hips a few times, drawing out a few breathless moans. "My haven is being with you, being inside of you..." Gasping for breath as she tried to galvanize her inner muscles into contracting around him, she pulled her fingers down his back. Both lovers clung to each other, crying out with their eyes shut tight. He had managed to bury himself inside her body before taking his release, but it had taken all of his willpower to wait those two seconds. For both, it felt as if a fire of sensation, of warm pleasure in its purest form, was melting them from the inside. Her skin tingled all over and her head felt light as she heavily throbbed around her master's length. Her cheeks were wet with tears and the nails from her left hand were leaving imprints on his bicep as she held him closer to her by tightening her thighs. Sesshoumaru was shaking from it, breathing hot air over her shoulder. Every muscle in his body was tense. _Rin, how can I leave you? I feel treasonous._ These thoughts were all his mind could concentrate on as he emptied his seed into her body, wrapped in her silken limbs.

From the open window in the room came another breeze, but it felt cooler than it had before, now that the two of them were perspiring due to their amorous activities. Rin felt him withdraw from her body, and he rolled onto his side, keeping his arms around her body. For many long minutes, they lied there, letting the world slow down again. She felt him nuzzling the top of her head, making contented purring noises. She was exhausted again, but didn't want to sleep. Instead she needed another bath and clean clothes. Sayo and Jaken would return in another couple of hours, at which point she would do well to have their dinner prepared for having made them take such a long journey for mostly her sake. Lifting her face to Sesshoumaru's, she saw an entirely different look on his face than what she expected. He looked angry, which upset her to no end.

"W-what is it, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked, pulling her herself further up his chest. His hands took hold of her hind end, holding her pelvis against his body, which was reacting to her yet again.

"Do you feel how much I ache for you? How much I want to stay with you? I do not leave you here because I want to, Rin. It's because I have to," he ground out, looking pained in some way. You have the ultimate power, Rin...for I love you almost too much.

She pressed her cheek against his and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. She was ready to cry, but for an odd mixture of happiness and sadness. _I can't make him feel guilty for doing this. It's not fair to him. I love him too much to do that._

She acquiesced, telling him with a whisper in his ear that she would dutifully await his return. She felt him tighten his arms in thanks for her understanding, knowing he would not be able to say it out loud. Dawdling for another few minutes, she finally rolled away from Sesshoumaru, coming to her feet unsteadily. Sesshoumaru asked where she was going.

"I need to take another bath after...after all that we have done since noontime, Sesshoumaru-sama. When I return, I plan to make dinner for Sayo and Jaken-sama. What do you plan to do with the rest of the afternoon?" she asked lightly, finding another clean, light under-robe in the cabinet against the wall. She draped the robe over her naked body, hiding it from him lest he pounce on her again. Realizing that her soap and towel were still on the south path where she had dropped them, she simply turned to her master for his answer.

"I had been hoping to make love to you all afternoon," he gruffly said, coming to his feet. As he straightened, it was obvious that his erection had not gone away in the slightest and every muscle softly rippled underneath the glistening skin that smoothly covered them. Her heart pounded inside her chest, threatening to punch a hole in her ribcage. He could audibly hear the tempo of her pulse increase due to his demon hearing, and half-smiled at her reaction.

"B-but, Sesshoumaru-sama...I'm sticky with tree sap and sweat...surely you don't appreciate the smell of me right now?" she said, backing away from him as he approached. The door was a few feet behind her, but it would be an easy thing for him to catch her before she even touched the door. Mostly, she just wanted to let her body have a rest from her master's constant rutting. _Perhaps it is a good thing then that he is leaving for a while._ "Jaken-sama and Sayo will be tired from their trip today. A waiting meal would be only polite." Now only a foot away from the door, she chanced to put one hand behind her to grasp the door's edge. She waited for his reaction, admiring his lithe form.

"I think your scent is intoxicating, and the servants can make their own food. But if you wish to bathe, be quick about it. I shall be here when you return." His stance relaxed somewhat, and Rin's pounding heart relented in its painful palpitations. Bowing her head respectfully, Rin slid the door open and quickly put on her house slippers, walking briskly to the door that led to the south path. Changing her shoes once again, she jogged down the path, finding her soap and towel, and scooping them up as she continued along the way to the bathhouse. Scrubbing every inch of her skin to make sure the tree sap's stickiness was gone, Rin briskly toweled herself down, patting her hair until it was at least damp, and weaving it into a fast braid. Sayo would most likely wonder why two baths were used in one day, considering how Sesshoumaru preferred to use the stream outside the complex walls. Rin took a less hurried pace back along the path, now that the full heat of the sun was attempting to penetrate the canopy of trees overhead.

Nearing the mansion again, she approached the side door, but heard voices inside. It was Jaken and Sayo, who had returned earlier than expected. Rin felt her heart drop into her stomach, and slipped on her house shoes before making her way to the front of the building. Jaken was going on about the way Sayo made him wait with Ah-Un while she went into the village, meaning Sesshoumaru must be close to kicking him for all of Jaken's squawking. Hearing a sound thump, Rin delightfully noted that Jaken's grating voice had stopped. She couldn't help but smile, though she managed to tamp it down before rounding the corner and seeing Sesshoumaru, Sayo, and a floored Jaken about fifty feet down the hall from her. Sesshoumaru, having heard her soft footsteps and having sniffed out her delicate scent, was already turned in her direction.

"Okaeri, Sayo! Okaeri, Jaken-sama!" Rin called, walking a bit faster. Sayo sort of grunted out a 'tadaima,' and Jaken merely groaned on the floor. As Rin closed the distance to her master, who was in his under-robe, obviously, she noticed that his hair was wet, indicating that he had taken a bath as well. Sayo was holding a bag of small bottles that clinked together musically, and Jaken was lying underneath a bag of kimono materials that he most likely dropped on himself after being kicked by his master. Sayo bowed her head to Sesshoumaru and turned to take her bundle to the kitchen, her feet shuffling on the wooden floors. Jaken was beginning to stir once Rin reached them, but merely stepped over him on her way to the kitchen. Sesshoumaru laid his hand on her shoulder, and Rin stopped to look up at her master.

"Return to my chambers once you have eaten your fill," he calmly said, giving her a pointed stare. Rin nodded, smiling, and lightly jogged down the hall towards the kitchen. Sesshoumaru, watching her go, let a soft emotion cross his face before wiping it away to look down at Jaken. The toad had finally gotten back to his feet and was hefting the bag up into his arms. He waddled off down the hall, leaving the bag of materials outside Sesshoumaru's door since the master had made it clear a long time ago that Jaken was not to set foot inside. Waddling back past Sesshoumaru, Jaken ran at a fast, funny-looking pace as he headed towards the kitchen, looking like he expected another kick.

-_Evening_-

Sayo was busy chopping up vegetables and tossing them into a pan full of water, which sat over a fire, but was not yet boiling. Rin was neatly cutting up some chicken meat, piling the small chunks into a bowl to be washed again after she was finished. Jaken entered with a huff, plopping down at the low table a few feet from the cooking area, and grumbling to himself as he rubbed the crown of his head. Rin smiled down at the cutting board, and looked over to see Sayo with a smirk on her face as well. Tossing out the remains of the chicken, Rin washed the chicken meat and placed the bowl next to Sayo before rinsing her hands with soap. Then watching as Sayo worked on the hearty soup, Rin took note of which spices Sayo added, and how much, so that when Sayo could no longer be there to cook for her and Jaken, Rin would be able to.

"How was the village, Sayo? Did everyone seem happy and well?" Rin asked conversationally, hoping to hear of the outside world despite her want to stay with Sesshoumaru, which usually meant staying away from other humans.

"Yes, they did. Their crop this year went well, Rin-san," Sayo said, her voice hoarse and cracked with age. Rin sighed, thinking of what it would be like to live in a village. She would have to work more, most assuredly, but more people would be around for her to talk to, and she could raise her children with others their age so that they could have friends. This thought stopped Rin...her child would be a half-demon, a hanyou, like her master's half-brother, who eventually had proven to be a very worthy person. Rin did not hear much about Inuyasha from Sesshoumaru, but Jaken had told her a few good gossip stories about how he had defeated Naraku, and married the girl that always followed him around wearing that odd kimono. Jaken had mentioned a priestess, but Rin was confused as to why he referred to her as the dead priestess. He had said that the dead priestess found a change of heart after seeing the changes in Inuyasha, though Jaken had been speaking bitterly of both the dead priestess and her master's half-brother at the time. The dead priestess left this world, leaving Inuyasha and the foreign girl alone to marry. Hoping that her own half-demon children would be as favored in honorable deeds as Inuyasha, Rin let that course of thought fall away, taking in a deep breath when the soup's thick broth began to simmer inside the pan, releasing a heavenly smell.

"It smells wonderful, Sayo! I don't know if I could ever make this soup as well as you," Rin sighed, setting her chin in her palm as she leaned upon the counter. Sayo's eyes slid over to her mischievously as she rhythmically stirred the contents of the pan.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll cook fine, and it's not as if the master will ever need to eat your cooking. Only that little toad over there," Sayo said, throwing the blunt insult over her shoulder at Jaken, who sat at the table. He was oblivious to their conversation, however, still deep in self-pity as he rubbed the sore spot on his head. Rin giggled, looking at poor Jaken in his everlasting plight of hero worship. _Well, Sesshoumaru-sama really is a hero. Perhaps only in my and Jaken's eyes, but he's a hero nonetheless._

Sayo brought a steaming bowl of soup over to the table, setting it down in front of Jaken, who was brought out of his stupor. He grabbed the chopsticks sitting on top and dug in, slurping the noodles and getting broth all over his chin. It was no wonder that Rin ate her bowl of soup at the counter with Sayo so that she didn't have to watch Jaken eat. The three ate in silence, although Jaken did interrupt it when he asked for another bowlful. Now that her stomach was full, Rin lean back away from her empty bowl contentedly. Sayo was still working on hers, and Jaken had long ago left the kitchen, burping and rubbing his belly instead of his head. Well, it shows that he liked it, at least. Rin cleaned her and Jaken's bowls, and helped Sayo store away the extra soup. Sayo, saying she was tired from the long day, went straight to her cot, and Rin tucked her in before heading back to the front hall.

The sun was setting as she walked, and Rin's heart gradually felt heavier the closer she got to her master's bedroom. He's leaving tomorrow. And I might not see him for months! Rin stopped right at the front entrance, clenching her fists and biting on her lower lip in order to gain control of herself before she started crying. Swallowing and letting her hands relax, Rin took a deep breath, and continued walking. Further down the hallway, Rin slid open the door of Sesshoumaru's room, looking inside. He was gazing out the window when she entered, and his hair was almost dry. Closing the door behind her and having shucked her house slippers, Rin loosened the belt of her under-robe. Seeing that Sesshoumaru was leaning forward to close the window shutters, she let her robe fall to the tatami mats at her feet and reached up to find her braid so that she could unravel it. When Sesshoumaru turned to her, Rin saw him pause for a second and take a long look at her nudity. Rin, smiling broadly when she saw his body's reaction underneath his own robe, fluffed out her hair, which was still a bit wet from being in a braid.

"Promise me one thing, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin said, setting her hands on her hips. Sesshoumaru tossed off his under-robe as she said this, walking the ten feet that separated them. Rin had thoroughly distracted him, but he was lucid enough to hear her question.

"And what is that?" he asked huskily, reaching out to hold her breasts in his hands. Rin's mouth fell open a bit, and she set her hands on his forearms, looking up at his sweltering gaze. Swallowing, Rin continued.

"Promise me that you'll come back as soon as you can...or if I need you. If I desperately need you here, promise you'll come," Rin demanded, her eyes blinking rapidly over the tears ready to spill. Sesshoumaru lifted a hand to brush the backs of his fingers down Rin's cheek, and he leaned down, tilting her head back with a thumb underneath her jaw.

"I promise." Opening her mouth, he thrust his tongue inside, tasting the salt from her meal over the sweeter taste of her mouth. Rin's hands settled on Sesshoumaru's hips, and her chest felt tight with emotion as her master plundered her mouth. The hand he left on her breast was massaging it, rolling the taut peak between his two longest fingers. When he pulled away from the kiss, Rin's lung pulled in some much-needed air as Sesshoumaru looked down at his hands, both of which were now manipulating the tips of her breasts. Rin slid her hands up to his biceps as she shuddered underneath his touch.

"Uhhnn...it feels good," Rin breathlessly said, arching her chest forward into his hands. When Sesshoumaru answered, Rin was happy to hear a gruff quality in his voice,

"I love your breasts...just seeing them is...stimulating." When his hands slid around her back underneath her arms, Rin made a slight noise of protest, but then gasped in surprise as he lifted her. Hearing a gruff command to wrap her legs around him, Rin obeyed, tightening her thighs against his waist. She felt a single finger trail down her scars, and hissed as a small tremor of sensation trickled down her body to dampen the warm area between her legs.

"Am I too heavy?" Rin asked, forgetting about Sesshoumaru's strength. She felt another finger drift down her scars, pressing harder than before, and Rin made a strained noise as her womanhood swelled with arousal.

"Of course you aren't," Sesshoumaru roughly said. "Let me make love to you." She bit down on her lower lip and nodded, and the two of them adjusted a bit, hooking her knees over his forearms. Rin felt awkward and open, but it was erotic and new, so her body was very excited, and she was aching to have him. Rin secured her hold around his shoulders, breathing shallowly and landing small kisses along his jawline. She could feel his arousal brushing her entrance, and a draft from the window gave her goose bumps.

"Please, master...I want you inside of me," Rin achingly whispered into his ear. Sesshoumaru tightened his grip on her rear, clenching his teeth. He lowered her slowly, bucking a few times to seat himself inside the tight muscles of her slick body. Moving her over his rigid length was easy work for Sesshoumaru's arms, but he was panting harshly from keeping his body from climaxing. Rin was moaning in his ear, loving the feel of him moving in and out of her, and gasping for breath just as fast as he was. Rin opened her eyes to see their shadows on the floor, cast by the lone half-burned candle next to the window. Sesshoumaru greatly enjoyed their carnal position, having his mate cling to him as he held her up and pumped their bodies together.

"Uhhhnn...harder," Rin gasped, sighing high and shakily when he did as she asked. _It's our last night...after so many nights such as this one. It's our last night for what will feel like ages._ Rin's eyes teared up, and she brought her mouth close to Sesshoumaru's ear again. "I love you, Sesshoumaru." She cried out when he hitched her up further in his arms and pushed deeper into her body with each thrust. She kept expecting them to fall over, which would thoroughly ruin the moment, but Sesshoumaru's strength and balance was winning out.

Sesshoumaru could smell the salt from her tears, knowing what she was going through. The sad pain in his chest was at once saddening and joyful. It did mean that Rin was feeling her own personal anguish, but it also meant that their connection was truly being forged, and the two of them were that much closer to becoming forever bonded. When she once again reminded him of her love with a desperate whisper in his ear, it took a great deal of willpower for him not to arch into her right then and spill himself inside the heat of her body. _She called me Sesshoumaru...I didn't know it, but I've longed to hear her say that._ Instead he held his own, deepening his thrusts. Rin's body loved the pounding of her master's arousal, and she could feel the pleasurable itch quickly gaining strength.

"Mmnn! I...I'm almost... Sesshoumaru!" Rin said through her clenched jaw. Though she was sure that Sesshoumaru could hold her up, Rin wasn't so sure that she would be able to hold herself up—her arms seemed to be involuntarily loosening. Determined to hold on, Rin fisted her hands in Sesshoumaru's glossy hair. Clenching her thigh muscles and tightening her inner ones, Rin felt a string inside her body snap into two, and achingly exhaled as her climax gripped her.

"Sesshoumaru..." Rin said, her face contorted with strain and ecstasy. Sesshoumaru held her body in place, attempting to ignore the wonderful pulsations surrounding his length. _Not yet..._ Gnashing his teeth against the primal urge to let his body have its own way, Sesshoumaru attempted to put his mind somewhere else. He couldn't look at Rin—that would only send him immediately into orgasm. _Not yet!_ Turning his head up to the ceiling, he desperately tried to ignore the sounds Rin was making. _Not yet!_ As Rin quieted down, and relaxed a bit, Sesshoumaru took a deep breath and concentrated on looking at the ceiling. Having held himself back, Sesshoumaru waited patiently, although it was painful, while Rin's body finished. _Not yet..._ He felt Rin's breathing slow down and heard her swallow, and she lifted her head.

"S—Sesshoumaru-sama...you did not take yours. Did I do som—" Rin began as he walked them to the futon, covered with another fresh silk sheet. He cut her off with an abrupt negative answer, and Rin's eyebrows quirked in uncomfortable confusion. Bending his knees and keeping himself inside her body, Sesshoumaru carefully laid Rin down on her back, lying over her as he braced some of his weight on his forearms. Rin brought her knees up, allowing her feet to leave the futon and letting her thighs fall open. She closed her eyes as he tucked his face against her neck.

"I know you're tired, Rin...but I wanted to make this last just a little longer..." Sesshoumaru settled most of his weight on her chest, and moved inside her again. He lifted a bit to place his hand over her heart once more, and Rin could feel the connection between them strengthen as her thighs involuntarily trembled. _My body is exhausted, but it...will always want him, no matter what—and now is no exception._ Moist again, and needing Sesshoumaru's body rubbing against her, Rin reached down to grip his hind end, and pulled him into her body. Rocking into her almost lovingly, Sesshoumaru breathed heavily against Rin's neck, softly growling as her hands rode his posterior. Rin's jaw was clenched, and as Sesshoumaru's thrusts became more forceful, hitting a deeper spot inside her body, her body jerked back with every buck of his hips.

"Master,," Rin uncontrollably cried out. She moved her arms since they were tired, and let the backs of her hands rest on the futon near her head. Biting down on her lip, Rin forced herself to open her eyes, and she looked up to the ceiling, made out of large panels of wood. The ceiling rhythmically veered in front of her eyes, jerking in time to Sesshoumaru's thrusts. Rin wondered to herself how many times she had seen this same thing, lying here with her lover between her thighs. She could feel the pointed tip of his ear brushing her cheek, and his hot, sticky chest pressed against hers. Closing her eyes again, Rin made a small noise as a wonderful throb vibrated through her loins.

"Unh," Rin moaned with a very high voice, "I...I'm coming, master!" Rin could tell by now—it was very close. The way he pressed her down into the futon, the way his arousal stretched her and penetrated, and the way his body moved over hers—Rin was tense as the swimming sensation filtered down from her head to where they were joined, going slowly and yet coming fast.

"Now, Rin," Sesshoumaru growled, never wanting to stop but needing his release more than anything else at that moment. Sesshoumaru's hands fisted in the silk sheet, tearing small holes in it, and he rammed into his lover's body.

"Huhhhnn! S-Sesshoumaru!" Rin called out. She lost her voice of a sudden, panting, but frozen. Sesshoumaru, half-groaning and half-growling against her neck, straightened his legs and pressed his phallus as far inside her belly as he could, emptying his seed into her. Rin's hands were fisted, and her mouth was open in a silent cry. Exhaling as she set her feet on the futon again, Rin let out a satisfied moan, and concentrated on the last few pulses of her inner muscles. Sesshoumaru still lay there, breathing heavily against Rin's neck and shoulder. She looked up at the ceiling again, smirking to herself as a naughty idea came to mind. Deciding to act upon it, Rin brought one hand up to the nape of Sesshoumaru's neck and pulled three fingers down without hesitation. She heard Sesshoumaru's small noise of surprise and fatigue. His body was almost petrified like a tree as his length grew and then filled her with his seed again. He let out a long, breathy groan as he climaxed a second time in the space of perhaps a minute.

"Now we're even, master," Rin whispered aloud, taking a few seconds to kiss the tip of his demon ear. She pulled the other half of the silk sheet over them as Sesshoumaru's body recovered from their activities, and she giggled a bit when she felt his nose nuzzling the side of her neck, licking her skin. Bringing his weight off of her, Sesshoumaru lied down on his side, holding Rin close against his chest as she settled in for a night's rest.

"I love you, Rin," Sesshoumaru purred, rubbing her shoulder. Rin, already half-asleep, returned the sentiment with a light squeeze of her arms, and closed her eyes.

-_Morning_-

Rolling over onto her other side, Rin wished that the birds outside weren't so loud. Feeling a light draft, she peeked an eye open to see that the window shutters were slightly ajar, and that the morning sun had risen at least an hour ago. _I'm too sleepy to get up just yet...mouu..._ Deciding to lie there for another hour, Rin closed her eyes, vaguely wondering why it felt a little cold. Sensing something to be amiss, Rin rolled back over, but didn't find what she always found in the mornings.

Sesshoumaru was gone.

Rin's eyes shot fully open and she sat up, uncaring of her state of dress. Whipping her head about the room, she noted that his armor and swords were gone. All that was left was the bag of kimono materials, and Rin's own things. Rin didn't want to believe it, but even her body was telling her that Sesshoumaru was not in the mansion. Her scars were burning a bit, and Rin brought up her knees to her chest. Wrapping her arms around her knees and hiding her face, Rin silently shed a few tears, hiccupping into her thighs. When she last remembered, she had her arms wrapped tight around his torso, and now her arms were empty. _Come on, Rin! He'll be back! It won't last forever._ Unable to bring herself out of it just yet, Rin cried for a few more minutes before they dried on her cheeks, having been spent. Now feeling sorry for herself, Rin made a pitiful moan and rolled down and onto her side.

She lounged around for an hour, like she had decided, but no sleep came, and Rin cried a few more times in short spurts. S_esshoumaru-sama..._ Once hunger pains began to sink in, Rin realized that she at least had to eat and move around to keep her growing baby healthy. _Mother always said that babies feel everything the mother can._

Rin didn't want her baby to feel the depression she felt. She didn't want her firstborn to be affected by something that could turn out to be trivial. Pouting to herself as she laid there on her side, Rin wiped the tears off her cheeks. Then sitting up, Rin slowly came a stand. She took a swallow of the morning-sickness medicine and dressed in her light yellow kimono. Making up the sheets of the futon and straightening the room, she slid open the door of the bedroom, stepping out into the hall. Putting on her slippers, Rin made her way to the kitchen, finding it hard not to wallow in self-pity. Inside the kitchen was only Sayo, who was setting the pan of soup from last night onto a fire she had just started.

"Ohayou," Rin glumly said, sitting on her shins next to Sayo. The old woman frowned at her, picking up a wooden spoon and stirring the contents of the soup as it warmed up.

"Now what's this? Are you sad that he's gone, Rin-san? You must not be sad. Sesshoumaru-sama will return as soon as he is able," she croaked out, obviously needing some water to loosen her throat this early in the morning. Rin stood up to take the empty pitcher from the table and made her way to the outside well, but paused for a moment at the sliding door.

"It hurts when he's not near me, Sayo," Rin said, cradling the pitcher in her arms. She exchanged her shoes then, and walked outside. After bringing up a bucket of water, she carefully poured some into the pitcher before dumping the rest back inside and setting the empty bucket on the sill of the well. Her scars did not burn as much, but now they ached as if someone had bruised them only a few hours ago. Coming back inside, Rin poured some water for Sayo, setting the cup next to her. Sayo nodded her thanks and sipped at the water while Rin looked out the open kitchen door at the breezy summer day. _I wish I could hide under my sheets until he returns, hibernating._

"You say it hurts, Rin-san? So I take it that you and the master have performed the marking ceremony?" Sayo said, slowly stirring the soup with one hand. Rin looked over at Sayo in surprise.

"You know of the practice? Sesshoumaru-sama said that humans weren't aware of it."

"Oh, living in this house for so many years with only demons around me, I've picked up a few things. When you came to the house ten years ago, I felt like I was human again. But yes, I know of it," Sayo admitted, still stirring. Rin nodded, and they fell quiet.

For the rest of the day, Rin merely sat on the side porch of the kitchen with her hand over her stomach, watching the breeze blow about random debris such as leaves and petals. Sayo went about her daily chores slowly, glancing over at Rin once in a while to make sure she was still in the same place. Rin felt as if her heart were breaking, and despaired at being able to cope without her master for so long when she was having such trouble with the first day. She tried to think of her baby, and feeling happy for its sake, but she and Sesshoumaru had not been this far apart for this long since she first found Sesshoumaru when she was a child. Rin hoped for the best—that she would feel better after a few days—but at the moment, she was in a sorry state. Leaning against the post on her left, Rin swung her feet, imagining her master walking up to her from the forest in front of her.

Sayo brought her in for lunch and dinner, after which Rin continued to sit on the porch with a candle next to her. Sayo sat with her for a bit, and they spoke a few words about Rin's health concerning the child, but then Rin finally got up to go to her master's bedroom. Sayo bid her a good night, and blew out the candles in the kitchen. Once Rin arrived at her room, she pulled out some of the bolts of silk, pondering how to change the kimono design for when her figure no longer allowed for a petite size. She cut out a proper design, going by the faint light of three candles sitting next to her. Though Rin's evenings were usually spent in silence, she also usually had her master there to keep her company, so the silence of the room was oppressive, and Rin reached to her right to open a shutter so that she could hear the crickets outside. A couple of hours after sundown, Rin's fingers were aching from sewing, so she neatly set aside the kimono materials, which were only a little bit closer to actually being one.

Stretching out over the silk sheet on the futon after blowing out the three candles, Rin lied there in the darkness, once in a while feeling a breeze from the half-open window, and wished to herself that she had her master there to lie upon. It was hard to fall asleep without him there. _Please return soon—very soon._ Rin had the idea that it was past midnight when she fell into an exhausted sleep, and in her dreams, she saw a tall demon with red stripes on his cheeks, looking at her from a distance as a strong breeze lifted his silvery hair. The sun shone brightly, and Rin's heart ached painfully as he looked at her. _Sesshoumaru..._

-_Time Elapse_-

As Rin hoped, the days didn't feel so empty and long after a week. She finished her first kimono, one to wear for when she was perhaps three or four months along, and started on another one for when she was five or six months along. The first was a dark burgundy color to keep in some warmth since it would be the middle of fall by the time she wore it. It had gold embroidery, which Rin painstakingly perfected, on the chest and back. Another week passed without her master's return, and Rin saw the trees begin to turn into their autumn colors the week after that. Her pregnancy was no longer causing her as much nausea, but now her back ached constantly. Sayo was good enough to rub the offended muscles once in a while.

Rin finished her second and third kimono, the last being for when she was her largest. One was dark blue with white embroidery and gold trimming, and the other was a red floral pattern of silk cherry blossoms. She was starting a few simple designs for her child after that, needing something to do with her hands. Now near the end of her third month, Rin had been without her mate for seven weeks, and was becoming sadder with each passing day that he didn't send some sort of message to her.

-_Morning_-

Feeling a chill from the early morning breeze that was filtering in through her open shutters, Rin raised her head to look about her as she lied there on her side. Any other position hurt her back so that she had to lie on either side holding a rolled up blanket between her knees. Brushing her hair out of her eyes, Rin saw that the light of the day indicated that the sun was about an hour or two above the horizon. Coming up to sit, Rin smoothed her hand over her stomach, now more rounded. She blinked a few times, letting her eyes adjust to the light, and rubbed at her arms, which had goose bumps due to the colder air of autumn. Flipping the heavier blanket off of her legs, Rin came to a stand, steadying herself against the wall. She exchanged her under-robe for a thicker one, not yet wanting to put on her burgundy kimono in case she was messy during breakfast, and opened her bedroom door. Sliding her feet into the house slippers, she walked to the kitchen, now feeling more awake and ready for another day, although she just wanted to curl up on her futon and wait until Sesshoumaru returned.

"Ohayou, Sayo!" Rin called as she entered the kitchen. Looking around, she couldn't see the servant anywhere, and the covered dish they had been basting last night still sat where she had left it. "Sayo? Where are you?" The old woman's cot was made, so it was obvious that she had woken up this morning, but she was nowhere to be found. An awful feeling slunk down her spine, causing her scars to burn painfully, and Rin's heart fluttered inside her chest as she quietly checked the cabinets. _Did something get Sayo?_ Rin hissed, feeling her scars react negatively to that thought. She looked around the kitchen, wondering what to do, and noticed that a knife was missing... _Sayo has a knife?_ She... Rin immediately noticed that the pain in her back lessened, and wondered if they were reacting to her premonitions. _Sayo...is..._

"Kami-sama..." Rin whispered, whipping around in panic. Running to the kitchen door, Rin ran down the hall to the exit that led to the south path, and ran from the mansion, not caring that she was still wearing her house slippers or that the cold morning air was chilling her skin underneath the robe, despite the fact that it was thicker. She was going to run to the tree where Sesshoumaru had made love to her more than a month ago, but had to find the breakaway from the south path in order to reach it. The tree could hide her from Sayo while she figured out what to do, and it was the one place an old woman like Sayo could not reach her. _Yes...yes, I can hide there._ With one hand underneath her stomach to attempt to protect her child, Rin held her under-robe together with the other. Coming around a bend in the path, Rin skidded to a halt upon seeing Sayo, in her under-robe as well, and holding the knife from the kitchen. Her white hair was hanging down, slightly disturbed by the breeze infiltrating the complex.

"S—Sayo...please...just stay away from me," Rin shakily said, barely able to keep the tears from her voice. Sayo raised her knife-hand slowly, letting the blade glint in the early morning sun.

"Of all the days to change your routine...you didn't come to the bathhouse to bathe today, unlike the past seventeen days. Today you slept in...of all the days to change it!" Sayo screamed, taking a step towards Rin. Rin took a step back.

"Today is a special day, Rin-san. Today my husband died eighteen years ago. He was a wonderful husband. A kumotaiyoukai...so powerful was my husband! He was handsome and loved me! I was going to do it today, but you had to change it!" Sayo took another step towards her, and Rin took another back.

"Wh—why the bathhouse, Sayo?" Rin asked, her voice cracking with barely contained fear.

"You're most vulnerable there—I don't know how, but I can't enter the bedroom anymore. Your master does not trust me...as well he should. So I couldn't do it while you were asleep."

"H—how do I know your husband then? Did I wrong him in any way?"

"My poor dear, you were not involved in his death. You're merely my means to an end. I love you like a daughter, but revenge takes first priority! Always! ...Sesshoumaru killed my dear husband! He slaughtered him! My dear husband, who was powerful and strong! I came home from the village to find him dead, slashed to pieces! The underlings told me who did it, so I planned out what I would do to avenge my husband!" Sayo was still creeping closer, and the one thing Rin made sure of was that she stayed a certain distance from her.

"But you could never kill Sesshoumaru by yourself! Why even try?" Rin asked, needing to know Sayo's reasons.

"I knew all of that, Rin-san. I knew I couldn't kill him, but I could hurt him the same way he hurt me. I was going to kill someone he loved. I would take them away from him forever! When I first arrived as a servant, Sesshoumaru had no one living with him that he cared for...not even that Jaken pest was important to him. And then you came, Rin-san. I was so happy the day you came home with him. I felt sick for killing another human, but you were a means to an end. I had to wait ten long years, though. He never left you alone, and I couldn't find the right timing so that I could escape his wrath before he found me out. With him and that damned sword, Tenseiga, there was no opportunity. So I created one.

"My underlings found your party near the end of this year's rounds of the land, and attempted an attack upon you, Rin-san, to get Sesshoumaru's suspicions up. How appropriate that you returned home with a deeper place in his heart and pregnant with his brat! I knew my planned worked when he informed me the morning of his departure that you were to stay behind at the complex. I waited for weeks to go by so that he was as far away as possible, unable to help you, and unable to find me once he reached the mansion. I wanted to wait another two weeks, but today seemed so fitting as the day of my revenge." Sayo began to simply walk towards Rin, and Rin hastily stepped back fast, putting more distance between herself and the old woman.

"That's how you knew about the marking ceremony! You carry the mark of your mate! You won't be able to get away with this! I'm younger than you, and I can hide in the forest until Sesshoumaru has felt my call to him," Rin reasoned, hoping to deter Sayo's plan.

"How will you find water to drink? I will keep an eye on the well and even the bathhouse. And though you are young, you are hindered by your pregnancy...and I'm patient. You know this by now. Even if you last a couple of days, it won't be enough. You can't scale the complex wall to find water in your condition, and the demons outside these walls would hunt you down before you could reach the stream. And at night when the cold air of autumn settles over us, how will you keep yourself warm?! Just give up now, Rin. You can always meet your precious master in about twenty years when your soul returns to him. I can allow that, I suppose. Besides, your violent death will be enough to break that damned dog!" Sayo screamed, coming at Rin at a full run. Rin picked up the skirt of her kimono, still holding the underside of her stomach as she sprinted into the forest.

_Sesshoumaru! Oh, how will I survive this?_ Rin ran hard, hoping she was heading in the right direction. Sayo wasn't fast, but she was close enough behind to see Rin ahead of her, and Rin had to get a good lead in order to have enough time to climb the tree. _Sesshoumaru, please help me!_ Her lungs were already aching, and her under-robe was catching on random branches. Rin's eyes blurred with tears, and her voice caught on a sob before she gasped for more breath.

"Sesshoumaru!"


	7. Chapter 7

Normally, Rin would have no trouble outrunning a woman as old as Sayo. Rin was forty years younger, and had spent much of her time with Sesshoumaru walking about the western lands. This wasn't a normal situation, though. The facts that she was four months pregnant, cold, and emotionally stressed, all slowed her down considerably. After letting out her first blood-curdling scream for her mate, Rin hoped desperately that her Sesshoumaru-sama would come running towards her from up ahead to slay the killer behind her, or that she would hear Sayo fall from exhaustion, giving Rin more time to get a lead on her. Neither happened, though, but she did feel her scars prickling with fear, as if her mate knew that she was in danger. Forcing her legs to keep going, she knew she was getting close to the tree, and chanced a look behind her to see how far back Sayo was. She couldn't see Sayo due to the denseness of the forest, but she could hear very faint sounds behind her perhaps a hundred yards back as Sayo struggled to catch up to her.

Bringing her head back around, Rin screamed in fright when she saw someone standing there, but it was quickly replaced by a relieved sob. It was only the tree, but one of the warped, above-ground roots looked uncannily similar to a human figure. Rin scrambled onto the root closest to her, scaling it carefully for a jump to the closest branch. She could hear Sayo only fifty yards behind her, and desperately tried to lift herself up. Her sandals were scraping on the bark in an effort to get a foothold, but it was of no use. Her arms refused to lift her, and Rin was about to drop to the ground in a tired heap when one of the branches swiveled on the trunk to give her a place to boost herself up to the branch that she held. Rin, mouth open in disbelief, hoisted herself onto it, and followed the steps of branches as they guided her up the side of the trunk. She could hear the branches below her shift to their original position as she climbed. Once Rin was hidden by red-tinged leaves thirty feet in the air, Sayo burst into her view. Sayo looked around, her chest heaving with exertion, and then squatted to look at Rin's tracks. They ended at the tree's outgrown roots, so Sayo set the blade of the knife between her teeth and began to crawl up the root.

Rin, having almost caught her breath, leaned back against the trunk, trying to make herself invisible. Though her view was greatly obscured by the leaves, there was no mistaking that the tree flicked its root, knocking Sayo off. Rin covered her mouth to keep from making any noise-the sound she wanted to make would have been somewhere between a sob, a laugh, and a gasp-and it would have given her away instantly. Hearing Sayo make an angry noise, Rin dared a peek down at her as she stared at the trunk of the tree with a pursed mouth, holding the knife at her side.

"You damned tree demon! I need to check your branches for a young girl and if you don't let me, I'll come back here with an axe and cut off your roots!" Sayo screamed, brandishing about the kitchen knife. Rin felt the trunk behind her shake a bit with laughter, and a booming voice came out of nowhere.

"Heh! Like an old female human could even come close! It would be best if you leave the complex, Sayo! Sesshoumaru did not stray far from his mate, and will be here within the hour...if you're extremely lucky, you might leave here standing up!" the disembodied voice said, its leaves shaking with mirth. Now that Sayo most certainly knew she was up in the tree, Rin allowed herself to sigh, and her eyes teared up when she heard how close her mate was. Wrapping her arms around the tree trunk as far as she could, Rin hugged the rough bark, eternally grateful to her wooden savior. She did not see the horrified look on Sayo's face.

"Wh-what? The master is returning even now?" Sayo shook her head violently. "No! I will have my revenge! Even if I can't live to hear of Sesshoumaru's downfall, I will kill his mate before he arrives! Just you wait! I'll bring that axe and when you've lost a few 'fingers,' you'll hand that girl to me quickly enough! Just you wait!" Sayo shrieked, running back towards the mansion. Rin waited a couple of minutes, and when Sayo's footsteps could no longer be heard, she dared to say something.

"Arigatou-gozaimasu...you saved my life. Arigatou!" Rin said, squeezing the tree trunk again. She felt a single small branch pat her on her back, and laughed through her tears at the strangeness of the situation. It wasn't as if she had not seen a tree demon before. Once, Sesshoumaru had gone to see the great Bokusenou, bringing Rin along, but she had never known that one lived so close by.

"Sayo most likely will come back within a few minutes, but don't fret at all, Rin-san. I may be rooted to the spot, but her swings will miss me no matter what she does." Rin nodded against the trunk, crossing her arms to keep some warmth inside her body. Thinking of the few times when Rin had passed by this tree, she wondered why he never said hello. Then realizing that Sesshoumaru and she had made love on his roots, Rin blushed a dark red, and her mouth fell open in embarrassment.

"G-g-gomen-nasai! I didn't realize th-that...that you were a demon! I hope it wasn't too embarrassing for you!" Rin blurted out, squeezing her eyes shut. Of course, the tree knew what she meant. It had been the only time they had "met," in a sense. Feeling the trunk shake again with laughter, Rin's blush only darkened more.

"I had seen you as a child a few times, and wondered what Sesshoumaru was doing after all he had said about humans-" the tree demon began, but was cut off by Rin's question.

"He has come out here and spoken to you often?" Rin asked, looking at the trunk as if it had eyes.

"Aa, he used to come out here when he could, but our conversations did not last too long. Sesshoumaru is of few words, as you must now know, Rin-san." The tree waited for her agreement before continuing. "I had seen you as a child, but you never ventured close enough for me to call out to you. Even so, I was not starving for company. When you came home again, pregnant with Sesshoumaru's child, he came out here to tell me the news so that I might know why another child was running about the place once you had given birth. I had asked him when I would be able to meet you, and he gave me the oddest look. I may not have eyes, but I can still see, Rin-san, and your mate looked as if he was amused by something." Rin's eyebrows were scrunched together in confusion, and she rubbed at her arms when a cold breeze wafted through the tree demon's branches.

"Perhaps ten days later, he brought you here, and I must say that I had not seen you for quite a few years-you had grown so well. I was speechless for a few minutes, and by the time I snapped out of it, you had draped yourself over my root and Sesshoumaru was-"

"Please! You'll make me faint from blushing!" Rin exclaimed, holding her cheeks in her hands. The tree laughed again, bringing branches close about her to block the wind.

"I must admit that due to my confinement within these walls, I had not seen the sexual act in person before, and it was most intriguing," the tree demon continued, his disembodied voice deep and resonating. Rin was shaking her head, holding her hands over her ears. "Oh, all right, Rin-san. I shall drop the subject. But you must promise to visit me often, and tell me news of you and Sesshoumaru." Rin looked over at the trunk next to her, and saw a face pressed out of the trunk, similar to what Bokusenou looked like, but a little less ancient. There was a smile on the wooden face, and Rin brought her hands down, nodding with agreement.

"Kisama! I'm coming back for your fingers!" Sayo screamed from afar, still perhaps one hundred-fifty yards away. Rin made a small noise of fright at hearing the woman's cackling laugh followed by another scream of anger.

"She truly is insane," Rin said in a small voice. "She must have loved her husband greatly." Rin sidled up to the tree trunk, and was glad that the leafy branches blocked the wind and Sayo's piercing eyes. _Soon, Sesshoumaru-sama will be here. He'll come for me, just like he promised._ Hearing footfalls and heavy breathing, Rin simply gazed at the red-tinged leaves in front of her as Sayo arrived, most likely wielding the axe she had promised.

"Let's see how long you hold onto your little prize!" Sayo yelled, grunting as she brought the axe down. The root deftly moved aside, and Sayo's axe hit the dirt, spraying some up onto her under-robe. She growled in anger and frustration, swinging the axe again, only to miss terribly. The tree shook underneath Rin as it chuckled.

"You'll never get anywhere that way. You're too slow, and getting slower by the minute!" the tree said, dodging more swings. Sayo finally tossed the axe to the ground in defeat, but it wasn't over yet.

"Kisama! Let's see you try to dodge a forest fire!" Sayo yelled. Rin's heart was suddenly in her throat, and she gasped in surprise. The tree only laughed harder, which convinced Rin that the danger wasn't so bad as she might have thought.

"Do you really think you have time? As wet as the foliage is, I'd be surprised if you got a fire going out here by the time Sesshoumaru arrives. You might as well run while you can!" he yelled, still shaking with amusement. _He laughs a lot_, Rin thought to herself. Before she could peek down through the leaves to see what Sayo would do, Rin felt an unmistakable warmth spread down her spine. _Sesshoumaru!_ Rin looked around, wondering how far away he was. Rin whispered to the tree demon that she could feel her master nearby.

"Ohh, now this is interesting. Sesshoumaru has proven his swiftness by arriving so quickly! I'm afraid, Sayo, that you might have run out of time!" the tree said, flicking a root out to grab her wrist. Sayo gasped in fright, vainly tugging her wrist from the tree's grip. She looked around her in fear, watching for Sesshoumaru's approach. Rin closed her eyes, guiding her mate to her location in the complex's forest. He was inside the walls, that much was certain. _Sesshoumaru..._ Though the wind made the leaves rustle, Rin could faintly hear quick footsteps as her mate ran to her. _Sesshoumaru..._ Sayo screamed as she, too, realized who was coming, and she thrashed about, trying to reach the axe she had dropped earlier.

"Let go of me! Let go!" Sayo yelled, her hand close to the handle of the axe. The tree demon simply dragged her farther away from it, chuckling to himself. The tree deemed it safe to lift his branches away from Rin, revealing her to the crazy woman below, who scowled at her in anger for having ruined her plans so innocently. Rin looked past Sayo into the woods beyond, looking for signs of her master, who was very close now. _Sesshoumaru..._ The first thing Rin saw was his white clothing, and how he leaned forward over his legs as they speedily brought him to her. Sayo curled into a ball, obviously hoping that the whole situation would simply disappear.

"Sesshoumaru!" Itching to get down to the ground in order to run to him, Rin was about to lean forward to drop off of the tree limb, and had her hands poised to grip the branch, but the tree demon held a leafy branch in front of her, pushing her back into a sitting position. The booming voice became a whisper,

"Not yet. Let him finish off Sayo, Rin-san." Rin took a quick look behind her at the wooden face, seeing only a trace of the smile she had seen earlier. Looking back down at Sayo, she watched as Sesshoumaru approached the old woman, his right hand glowing an acidic green. The tree continued in a low voice, "He is angry, Rin-san. Surely you have seen him angry. He will not be calm again until Sayo is dead. Then I will help you down to him." Rin kept her gaze fixed on Sesshoumaru, whose eyes were squinted in rage. Rin could practically feel the heat coming off of his body from where she sat, and tried not to feel pity for Sayo, though she herself might have done the same if Sesshoumaru had been killed. Hearing a resounding crack and seeing Sayo's head come away from her body, Rin looked away, glad that the whole ordeal was over. She heard Jaken's grating voice as he finally came upon them, saying that he would take care of the body, and she felt the tree move its branches underneath her. Rin looked down at the ground and saw her master gazing up at her, all the anger gone from his eyes. Rin's eyes stung with tears, blurring her vision, but she made it down the tree trunk all the same. Jumping from the last limb into Sesshoumaru's open arms, Rin began to sob against his chest, and her arms were wrapped tight enough around his neck to crush a normal man.

"I m-missed you, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin cried as he held her against him. Sesshoumaru sat down on a root that the tree demon graciously extended for him, and Rin stepped between his knees to get an even tighter grip on him. Sesshoumaru tucked his nose into the crook of Rin's neck and breathed in her scent, which was laced with the scent of their pup. Closing his eyes, Sesshoumaru massaged Rin's shoulder as she wept, and realized how much he had missed her as well. He would rather be damned, though, than admit it in front of the tree demon. Once Rin had quieted down, Sesshoumaru pulled her shoulders back to look at her face. Her eyes were puffy, but clear, her cheeks were still damp, and she was fairly glowing with motherhood. Sesshoumaru was dying to see if she was lactating yet, but it certainly wasn't the place to check, considering how Jaken was tugging on Sayo's limp arm to drag her off for her burial, having already bagged her decapitated head. Rin sniffed once and looked up to the tree.

"Arigatou, Tree-sama! I shall come back to visit you tomorrow!" Rin called, smiling up at the spot where she had been sitting. She saw his branches wave her goodbye, and heard his booming ethereal voice say,

"I shall be here. Dress warmer next time, ne?" the tree said, laughing boisterously. Rin laughed as well, looking to her master, whose face held a bit of annoyance. Leaning forward, Rin dropped a light kiss onto his lips, and then stood back when he might have pulled her closer. Jaken was already gone with Sayo's body, so Sesshoumaru picked up Rin with an arm underneath her knees and another around her waist. Rin called a "ja ne" to the tree demon as Sesshoumaru walked them back to the mansion, taking a scenic route. Once they were back on the south path, Rin wriggled in Sesshoumaru's arms.

"Sesshoumaru-sama does not have to carry me all the way back," she said. Sesshoumaru secured his hold on her, and continued walking down the path towards the mansion.

"Your body has been through enough today. You shall stay in the bedroom until tomorrow morning," he firmly commanded, not looking down at her. Rin squinted her eyes in mock anger.

"Well, if my body is so tired, then I guess I should just sleep the whole day and night, ne?" Rin asked, hoping to get a reaction out of him. Seeing his eyebrows twitch slightly, Rin smirked, and laid her head against his chest. _He wasn't thinking of sleep when he said to stay in the bedroom._ "I missed you, Sesshoumaru-sama. It was hard to fall asleep at night without you." Feeling his hands tighten around her, Rin closed her eyes. His body was warm, and vanquished any chill her body had held while she sat in the tree. Rin snuggled into his arms, her head cushioned by the fur pelt draped over his shoulder.

"What are we going to do now, Sesshoumaru-sama? Will we survey your borders again?" Rin asked with her eyes still closed. She lifted her hand to his chest, feeling for the fast beat of his heart against her palm.

"Right now, we are going to bed," he calmly said, stepping into the genkan of the kitchen's side door. Sesshoumaru set Rin on her feet so that she could remove her sandals as he removed his boots. Rin looked to the kitchen while she waited for her master to finish and saw Sayo's cot in the corner along with the kitchen knife from earlier, which was embedded in the cutting board. Shivering despite the warmth inside, Rin folded her arms, hunching up her shoulders.

"Don't think about it," Sesshoumaru said into her ear, his rich voice creating much more pleasant shivers. Rin was about to step into the kitchen when Sesshoumaru picked her up again, carrying her swiftly across the premises. As he moved through the mansion, down the hallway and around corners to their bedroom, Rin slipped her hand into his clothing. Finding the hard, smooth skin of his chest, she searched out a small nubbin close to her hand, circling it with her fingertips and then rubbing it with the pad of her index finger. Sesshoumaru's jaw clenched as his manhood quickly reacted. Rin's touch, smell, and the weight of her body in his arms all warmed him from the inside until heat radiated from his skin.

Arriving at their destination, Rin reached out to slide the door open, kicking off her house slippers, and Sesshoumaru stepped inside, setting Rin down once again. While Rin walked to the window, securing the shutters as the wind picked up slightly outside, Sesshoumaru made sure to shut the door and begin undressing before he let his animal instincts take over. Looking down at herself, Rin's cheeks colored as she realized how much more rounded her stomach had become in the weeks since her master had been away. She suddenly felt self-conscious and lightly bit down on her lower lip. Not daring to peek over her shoulder at her master, whom she could hear undressing, Rin cleared her throat. _What if he does not desire me once he sees how my body is changing? I don't want to see any disgust on his face._ Fidgeting with her obi, Rin listened for a few seconds to the sounds of Sesshoumaru undressing before bringing herself to speak.

"Sesshoumaru-sama? If...if you don't want to mate because of...how I look now, I'll understand," Rin said awkwardly, still faced towards the closed window with her head down. Hearing the clunk of his armor as it was carelessly dropped to the floor, Rin waited for his response. When his hands smoothed over her hips to splay across her curved belly, Rin felt the sting of tears in her eyes. Taking a deeper breath to calm herself down, Rin attempted not to let her face twist with weepy relief. His body was warm against her back, and the way he nuzzled the spot behind her ear made Rin want to melt into him.

"You're as beautiful carrying our pup as when I first mated with you in the hot springs. Now come to bed, Rin," Sesshoumaru seductively cajoled. He pulled her back slowly, and eased her down to the futon, letting her lie on her right side and spooning behind her. Rin was confused, wondering if he was actually going to let her rest for a while before mating with her. "Did you want to know why I stayed so close, Rin?" Sesshoumaru said into her ear with his arm draped over her.

"Hai, but I did not get the opportunity to ask, Sesshoumaru-sama. Why did you leave when you had not planned to go far?" Rin asked, proud of her calm voice. Sesshoumaru draped the silk sheet over their hips before answering.

"Upon Sayo's hire eleven years ago, I could smell on her a kumotaiyoukai that I had defeated. It had many servants-some human, some not-and he even married a human. Believing that she was one of those servants, who no longer had an employer, I let her maintain the mansion since the previous servant had died more than a year past. When I decided to leave you here, I had Jaken stay behind, watching Sayo. I knew she was somehow involved with the attack. Simply beating it out of her would not have worked-she is so old that she would not have lasted long, and if she has waited all these years for vengeance... Jaken sent up a flare from the Staff of Heads once he realized, but I already knew you needed me here. I would have kept watch on you personally, but you would have known I was there if I tried." Having finished his explanation, Sesshoumaru fell silent as Rin contemplated his words. He slipped his arm underneath her head, letting her use his bicep as a pillow, and bringing his hand up to rest on her arm. _She smells good_, Sesshoumaru thought, inhaling at the nape of her neck. Their pup, growing inside her warm belly, was progressing at a healthy rate, and Sesshoumaru felt an immense pride that his mate carried their child so well. He was also impressed that she managed to run all the way to that damned tree demon despite being cold, pregnant, and scared. And he knew that she had been scared... He and Ah-Un sat at that blasted camp for weeks, not daring to come much closer than a mile from the complex. Sesshoumaru ached to be with Rin-all his thought was bent upon her, remembering her face, the feel of her hands, and the way she made him feel-many times he wryly thought to himself that she really had cast a spell on him. But that morning, having polished his sword for hours the night before in an attempt to do _something_, he felt a pang in his heart and heard a gasp in his head. He knew then...

"Will you promise to never leave me again? I'm happiest when I'm with you, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin said, placing her hands on the forearm pressed against her chest. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, feeling himself stir just from the thought of what he was about to do. Rin heard a husky 'Aa' right before his other hand pulled up the hem of her under-robe. Gasping in surprise, Rin's hands tightened on his forearm. He tugged the cloth up around her hips, all the while working underneath the heavy blanket, and tightened the arm he had wrapped around her chest. Lightly skimming his nails along Rin's bare backside before flattening his hand and rubbing her thigh, he licked behind her ear and gruffly commented,

"I definitely missed this." Moving his hand to adjust the front of his clothing, Sesshoumaru pushed aside his under-robe and stroked his arousal against Rin's hind end. "My wife...Rin..." Sesshoumaru gathered her body as closely as he could, erasing the loneliness of the past weeks. Gliding his hand over Rin's hip and down her thigh, he slid his fingers between her legs, lifting her left one and hooking it over his hip.

"Sesshoumaru-sama..." Rin sighed, letting her body roll back against him. Rin, though tired, had halfway hoped that he would initiate something. She had missed him so badly that some days felt like her heart was literally breaking into two pieces. Though once in a while her heart warmed from some unknown source, it would only last perhaps a few minutes before it went away again. Now that he was here, with his arm around her chest while the other roamed over her lower half, Rin slowly throbbed with physical excitement, and her eyes sagged shut as overwhelming contentment and desire flooded her mind and body.

Starting from her knee, Sesshoumaru moved his hand down her thigh, reassuring himself of its soft, pliant texture, and cupped her in his hand, pressing and massaging the outside. Rin's eyebrows drew together over her closed eyes, and she sighed her master's name, pushing herself against his hand as her body slowly felt heavier. She set her hand over Sesshoumaru's, lightly following the movements of his fingers as he gently slipped the pad of one finger between her lips and rubbed the jewel beneath her skin.

"Don't stop," Rin sighed as her body fully responded to his deft hand. She could practically feel her womanhood swelling with arousal, and his length brushed her left hand since it was resting so close to her entrance. Sesshoumaru slowly rubbed harder and faster, taking several long minutes to bring his mate into a full-fledged arousal. He would slow down once in a while, avoiding Rin's more sensitive folds of flesh, and then return to them, whispering wicked things into her ear. Soon Rin was panting, gripping his forearm tightly.

"What did you miss about me, Rin?" Sesshoumaru quietly asked. Rhythmically, he suggestively bucked his hips into Rin's posterior in time to his fingers. Rin felt her face grow warm with embarrassment and arousal, but tried to think of a surprising answer even though he was making it hard to think at all.

"I don't know why, but I missed your rutting behavior, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin joked, smiling as she gave him the sideswipe compliment. Sesshoumaru paused at this, his fingers halting in their massage. Rin's heart stopped as well. _Sesshoumaru, I didn't ask you to stop!_

"You can always push me away, Rin...if you're not up for it," Sesshoumaru commented. Rin made a small noise and gripped the back of his left hand.

"I don't want you to stop now, Sesshoumaru-sama! I was only joking..._please_," Rin said, turning her head slightly. Sesshoumaru smiled to himself, and curled a little closer to her body. Pressing and rolling his fingers again, he heard Rin say, with a smile in her tone, "Sesshoumaru-sama should learn how to take a joke." She tensed then, gasping and softly exhaling.

"I knew you were joking, love," Sesshoumaru said, itching to see her reaction. He heard Rin gasp again, but it wasn't from what his fingers were doing. Rin turned her head towards him, and her mouth was open in mock anger.

"Hidoi, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin gasped out, smiling the whole time. Sesshoumaru smiled back down at her, rubbing a little harder with his fingers. The way Rin's face melted down from fake annoyance to genuine arousal practically made his heart skip a beat. He only appeased her for a few seconds, though, and then took his hand away, bringing it up to lick the moisture off of his fingers. Rin groaned in frustration, pressing herself back against his body. Sesshoumaru moved his other arm, seeking the opening to Rin's under-robe and slipping his hand inside. He cupped her breast in his hand, finding that they had become heavier as they prepared to feed the child still inside her body.

Sesshoumaru adjusted for a few seconds, using his left hand to hook Rin's arm around his neck, and then leaned down. Holding her breast in his palm again, Sesshoumaru molded his lips over the peak, letting it distend inside his mouth. He felt Rin's hand in the back of his hair, and heard her husky groan as he began to draw upon her nipple, rapidly flicking it with his tongue and hoping that she would produce milk someday soon. He suckled on it for another moment, breathing hot air over it every few seconds. Then releasing her breast, Sesshoumaru leaned up to Rin's lips, pressing a kiss to the side of her mouth as his hand once again cupped her between her silken thighs, keeping her wet and ready.

"The next time you were fertile...after the night I saw your bare breasts more than a year ago...I imagined you pregnant with our first child-your breasts heavy with milk and your skin glowing with motherhood. I imagined what your body's honey would taste like, and how you would look as I lied over you and sampled its sweetness," Sesshoumaru purred, licking her lower lip. Rin achingly sighed, gripping the sheet underneath her right hand.

"I would grant you any fantasy, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin groaned out, rubbing against the hand currently teasing the smooth flesh around her entrance. Sesshoumaru ducked from underneath her arm and wrapped his other arm around her as before. Breathing shakily, Sesshoumaru thought to himself, _I can't wait anymore..._ His fingers spread her open, and he worked his hips forward, eventually finding the place where he needed to be the most. Firmly pushing into her body, Sesshoumaru found that her muscles had tightened in his absence and growled at how good her body felt around him, gripping him like a wet, tight fist. Rin cried out, digging her nails into his forearm.

"Go fast..._please_," Rin sighed. _I missed you so much._ Rin could feel every wrinkle of worry and crease of loneliness simply fall away with every thrust. Having his arms around her was the best feeling in the world, especially today. Sesshoumaru, however, set a leisurely pace, thrusting slow but deeply. Rin actually didn't really notice, so happy that he was with her again.

"Rin..." Sesshoumaru grunted, breathing hot air over her ear. Rin was moaning at a crescendo, each moan getting a little higher and louder. She had missed the feel of her mate inside of her, pushing his way into her tight muscles.

Sesshoumaru took a little time to place a kiss in the hollow behind Rin's ear, even though having Rin's hand over his as he thrust into her was enough to get perspiration on his forehead. So many times, he wanted to simply kill Sayo whether she was innocent or guilty, just so that he could come home to Rin again. Jaken, when Sayo was fast asleep, would bring news to him of Rin's health. Whenever he heard of Rin stubbing her toe or of her worsening back pains, or of how she sometimes cried when Sayo wasn't around...that was the most difficult time to live through.

"Uhhnnn...so deep. Don't stop...please..." Rin croaked out. Both of her hands came up to grip the forearm over her chest, and Sesshoumaru groaned, having wanted her body for so long. He gripped her left thigh, holding her in place as he jammed himself in and out of her, clamping her upper body to him. Her master's arms held Rin held immobile, but her body still jerked from the force of his violent thrusts, which stretched her sweetly and grated against the small jewel above her entrance. Rin silently screamed, feeling a powerful, long climax filtering down her body. Her mate moaned loudly behind her. Blood was pounding in Sesshoumaru's ears, and he was panting as if he were on the hunt for prey. _It's too much...it's too much._Sesshoumaru's groin tightened for a couple of seconds and then thankfully and blissfully released, steadily pumping his seed into her body, which was clamping his length. He vaguely heard her sob his name, but was too dizzy as he lied there behind her to move much.

The two of them breathed as one since Sesshoumaru was holding Rin so close to him, and minute-by-minute, they regained their balance and their breath. Rin felt as if she was finally whole, a pleasantly strong and unbreakable feeling. She felt incredibly safe and loved, as if waves of it were washing over her, warm and soft. Sesshoumaru, once again deeply inhaling her scent, nuzzled her neck, realizing what had happened._Rin...I love you more than life itself._ Rin sighed, letting Sesshoumaru pull out of her, and then turned over. Looking into his golden eyes, Rin wrapped her arms around him as best as she could and pressed herself close.

"I'm glad you're back, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin said, closing her eyes against his intense expression. She felt him brushing his lips against her cheekbone, but could also feel an underlying emotion. It was surreal, as if her extrasensory eyes were open, and she could acutely feel something outside her own mind.

"Can you feel that, Rin? Like you've finally come awake?" Sesshoumaru said, his voice low and resonating. Rin shivered in response to his rumbling voice.

"Hai...as if I have...a new extension from my body," Rin answered. Sesshoumaru tilted her face up to his, commanding her to open her eyes. They opened immediately, and Sesshoumaru saw the tears swimming inside.

"Our connection is now complete, Rin. Everything one of us feels, the other can sense as well. I can even take pain away from you into myself if the need arose." Sensing that Rin was about to cry, Sesshoumaru's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Are you upset, Rin?" Rin gave him a watery smile, shaking her head.

"It's just that I'm so happy, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin laughed out. A single tear slid away from her eye, making a wet trail on her skin. Sesshoumaru smirked, brushing his fingers down Rin's soft cheek. Hearing a pattering of rain begin outside, Sesshoumaru held Rin close and pressed his lips to hers. He took his time, memorizing her taste and seductively sliding his tongue with every slant of his mouth. He could sense how much Rin had missed him, how happy she was to have him there, and his body could not only feel the slight swell of her stomach from the growth of their child, but also how Rin's hand gripped the cloth over his shoulders as he slowly plundered her mouth. Sesshoumaru held her closer and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"I heard from Jaken that your back was paining you. It seems as if it hurts somewhat even now," Sesshoumaru noted, massaging the muscles underneath his hands. Rin sighed, finding that the pain was receding as his strong fingers smoothed away the muscle cramps.

"Hai. I have been sleeping on my side with a blanket between my knees to keep my back from hurting while I sleep, but it only helps the pain at night, of course. The morning sickness has not come for awhile now, though." Rin snuggled into him, using his flexing bicep as a pillow. After a couple of minutes, her eyes started to feel heavy with sleep. She felt Sesshoumaru move, gently turning her over onto her other side again. Then his hand slipped between her thighs, opening them. She held herself open as he tucked a blanket between her knees. Though his hand snaked around to grasp Rin's breast, he did nothing more than hold it.

"Sleep for a couple of hours, love. I'll mate with you again when you wake," Sesshoumaru declared, pulling up the heavier blanket over their bodies. Rin smiled once and sighed contentedly. The support and warmth of her master's body and the rhythmic pattering of the drizzling rain was more than enough to put Rin to sleep, especially after the morning she had. Sesshoumaru lied there as she dozed off, sensing for the first time what it might be like to be "naturally" unconscious. Keeping her warm, he wondered if he could actually wait two hours before mating with her again.

_-Two Months Later-_

Rin had kept her promise and visited with the tree demon the day after the incident with Sayo. She would visit for a few minutes every other day, and Sesshoumaru even came along once to see what it is she was doing so much. Unfortunately, the tree demon had found it funny to bring up the first time he had actually met Rin, which got several hard glares from Sesshoumaru as Rin squeaked out that she didn't want to discuss it. Sesshoumaru never did explain his intentions for what happened that day.

When all the leaves had fallen, and snow was on the air, Rin went out to the tree to find that he wouldn't speak back to her. She was very disconcerted, to say the least, and went to ask Sesshoumaru what she did wrong, but he explained that the tree had gone into hibernation for the winter. Having no one to talk to except Sesshoumaru and Jaken, both taciturn demons, Rin spent her days making more clothes for her child. Sesshoumaru sometimes watched her working, admiring how well her maternity clothes fit her, but only wanting to remove them. It was on a blustery, cold morning, when Rin was sitting in Sesshoumaru's lap, sewing, that she first felt her child move. She gasped, quickly getting Sesshoumaru out of the relaxed state he was in.

"What is it?" he asked, placing his hands on her shoulders. Rin put her sewing to the side and pushed down the blanket over her midsection. Reaching up for one of his hands, she drew it down to her stomach, letting him feel their child kicking inside her womb. She sensed the amazement that her mate was feeling, using the extrasensory connection they had, and leaned back against his chest as he petted her stomach. She smirked when she felt his hand sneak underneath her under-robe and slip down towards the warmth between her legs.

"Sesshoumaru, even the midwife you spoke to only yesterday said that we should not mate again until a few weeks after I have given birth. You said yourself she was quite 'ancient' and 'knowledgeable' for a human." Rin could sense how disappointed he was, but he didn't say a word as he withdrew his hand. Rin, yesterday, had almost outright laughed at the angry expression she had seen on Sesshoumaru's face when the midwife said that they had to stay away from each other for a couple of months. He looked...like a spoiled child unable to get what he wanted. It was the most expression she had seen on his face in quite some time. But she didn't feel the least sorry for him then. He had kept her busy for the past two months, and Rin was frankly becoming sore.

Feeling sorry for him now and unable to keep the spoiled child from his favorite toy, she twisted slightly inside his arms to look up at him. He raised a single eyebrow at her, wondering about the odd smile on her face. Leaning up by pulling on his shoulders, Rin pressed an open-mouthed kiss to his warm lips, and felt his arms tighten around her. "But that doesn't mean I can't help you," she whispered, landing a kiss on his Adam's apple.

Rin scooted down further on the futon and pressed her hand to Sesshoumaru's chest, guiding him to lie back. She could sense his desire unfurling and feel the hardness growing underneath her side as she parted his under-robe and pressed her hand to his stomach. His stomach muscles were clenched with anticipation, and as Rin revealed the straining length beneath her master's under-robe, the muscles underneath her hand jumped from the shock of the cooler air of the room.

"Sesshoumaru-sama is...truly handsome," Rin fervently whispered. Braced over him on her hip, Rin reached a hand up to release her hair from the braid she had woven and let it drape down from her head like a curtain. She looked up to her master's face, seeing his mouth slightly open as he took deeper breaths. The wispy ends of her soft hair brushed his hips and thighs as Rin leaned down and kissed the tip of Sesshoumaru's arousal, earning a soft moan from her mate. Settling her mouth over his length and bobbing at an intermittent pace, Rin kept her lips tight and brushed her fingers over his navel once in a while. Before perhaps a minute passed, Sesshoumaru was bucking weakly into Rin's mouth and holding the back of her head. She brought her mouth away, though, and pinched the tip of his manhood between her thumb and index finger, eliciting a loud growl.

"Rin...don't make me beg," he ground out, clenching his teeth as Rin licked his tip and pinched him again. She moved her other hand from his stomach to the spot over his heart, stretching her arm to its fullest length and laving her tongue over the reddened tip of Sesshoumaru's length. She pulled her lips over him for another minute, pausing every ten seconds to swirl the sensitive tip with her tongue. Then raising her head, Rin pinched the tip yet again, and Sesshoumaru made a noise that bordered on the carnal.

"I'd never make you beg, master," she whispered, breathing hot air over his manhood. Concentrating, Rin dipped her head down over his arousal one last time and tightened her lips, using their connection to bring Sesshoumaru to a loud climax as he fisted his hand in her glossy hair. Sesshoumaru's face was frozen in an expression of ecstasy, and Rin took in his warm seed, happy that she had brought him some pleasure. His entire body was tense and covered in a fine sheen of perspiration, but after a minute, the mind-numbing sensations ebbed away, leaving him relaxed upon the futon while it snowed peacefully outside for the first time that year. Opening his eyes, he lifted his head and looked to his mate, who was calmly watching him. The way she was bent over him gave him an excellent view of her ample chest, which was partially showing through the gap in her under-robe. Sitting up, Sesshoumaru slid his arms underneath Rin's shoulders and hauled her onto his chest.

"Wh-what are you doing, Sesshoumaru-sama? Was it not enough?" Rin asked, sensing that his desire was rekindling again.

"It was enough, love, do not worry. I simply found something else that I want," he said, his voice rough and low. Supporting her upper back with one arm, Sesshoumaru pushed aside the thick cloth covering one of Rin's breasts, letting the material slide off of her shoulder. He brought up his free hand and took possession of the soft mound, gently squeezing its peak until it distended. Seeing a small white droplet on the tip, Sesshoumaru purred and leaned down to lick at the new moisture. Rin's head dropped back, and she clutched the material of her master's sleeve. Sesshoumaru molded his lips around her peak, slowly licking around the tight bud inside his mouth. When his fingers tenderly pressed the flesh around her nipple, Rin felt her womanhood throb warmly when she realized that he was milking her.

"Master..." Rin sighed, opening her thighs when Sesshoumaru thrust his leg between them. He bumped his thigh against her intimately, creating a slow rhythm matched by the warm tugs on her breast. Sesshoumaru, tasting the sweet honey that his mate produced, could sense that Rin was enjoying his mouth and sought to make her forget the midwife's advice for one more day by rubbing her where it would do the most good. He then took his mouth away from Rin's breast, looking at the wet, pink tip he had just left. Squeezing his fingers again, Sesshoumaru watched as more white liquid seeped from her nipple and licked it away. Sliding his arm from underneath her upper back, he brought himself over her, grinding his thigh against Rin's warm center even as she clamped her legs in reaction. Nuzzling aside the cloth from her other breast, he eagerly plied the peak with his mouth, squeezing his fingers a little harder and flicking his tongue rapidly to get his mate moaning underneath him.

"You taste so good," Sesshoumaru purred, dropping a quick kiss onto her chin before taking another minute to drink of her body. Lifting his head once he was satisfied, Sesshoumaru slid his hand down to the apex of her thighs, letting his own leg push his fingers against the hard pearl above Rin's entrance. "Do you want me, Rin?" he asked huskily, already knowing that she would yield but needing to hear her say it. Rin merely groaned in response, rubbing her hips over his thighs. Sesshoumaru shuddered with desire, but asked again. "Do you want me to spread your thighs and come inside of you, Rin?" Sesshoumaru growled, brushing his lips over hers.

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama..._please_...make love to me," Rin desperately whispered. Sesshoumaru straight-armed away from his mate, and looked down at her in awe. She was writhing against him with her breasts bare and with her silky legs wrapped around his thigh, glowing with motherhood and youth. Her robe was still keeping her stomach warm, but Sesshoumaru's under-robe hung wide open. Reaching down to push her legs apart, Sesshoumaru sat back on his knees, hooking one of Rin's legs over the crook in his arm. He used his other hand to spread her open and guide himself inside, pushing slowly and firmly. Once seated, he scooped up Rin's other leg, holding her open as he penetrated deeply. Rin moaned softly, shutting her eyes tightly and clenching the sheet underneath her hands. Sesshoumaru kept his eyes on her as he set a fast pace, watching how her breasts bounced with each thrust and how her face changed as her body came closer and closer to its peak. _So beautiful..._

Rolling his hips the way she liked it, Sesshoumaru bucked into her faster, listening to the sounds his mate made while her body clutched at his member. Rin reached up to curl her fingers around Sesshoumaru's hands, which were holding onto her thighs as he made love to her. Sesshoumaru, leaving Rin's legs hooked over his arms, turned his hands to lock fingers with Rin.

"Does it feel good, Rin?" Sesshoumaru panted, noting how tightly she held his hands.

"It...uhhnnn...it always feels good, Sesshoumaru-sama...just don't stop." Feeling his chest swell with demonic pride, Sesshoumaru changed the angle of his hips slightly, finding a deeper spot to hit, which elicited a high, harsh cry from the back of Rin's throat. He could feel that Rin's thigh muscles were now taut, and he was still mesmerized by the way Rin looked beneath him. _I love her so much..._ Throbbing with need to empty into her body, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, concentrating on Rin's hands.

"Uhhnnn...master!" Rin weakly cried, having lost her voice. _So long, thick, and hot...I'm going to miss this over the next few months._ The way he held her legs open, the way he looked, and the desire she knew he felt for her were all their own natural aphrodisiacs. Recognizing, though, that the extra layer of desire she was feeling was filtering in through her physical contact with Sesshoumaru's hands, Rin tried to return the favor, and was rewarded with a choked groan from the demon thrusting into her. _I love him so much..._ Sesshoumaru leaned forward slightly, bringing Rin's knees only a bit closer towards her head, which tilted up her pelvis and opened up her hips. Sesshoumaru shoved into her, rubbing Rin's hard, wet jewel with every buck of his hips.

"S-...Sesshou-...uhhnnn! Uhhnnn!" Rin cried, her mouth open as she orgasmed, feeling the liquid from her pleasure thoroughly coat her inner walls and her mate's arousal. She felt so lightheaded that she was close to fainting, and the strong squeezes of her inner muscles sent little aftershocks of sensation rolling through her veins. Sesshoumaru thrust into her hard, seating himself as deep as he could and throwing his head back. His growl was unearthly, and the heat pouring from his length mixed with Rin's silky liquid. Rin whimpered as Sesshoumaru pumped into her a few more times, deep and slow, to prolong the pleasurable throbs that were draining her strength from her. Opening her eyes once Sesshoumaru let her feet touch the futon again, she saw his unmasked face above hers with its waterfall of silvery hair spilling down to the floor and onto her shoulders. He didn't say anything for a few seconds, but simply stared into her brown eyes.

"I...love mating with you, Rin," Sesshoumaru said with an intense look on his face. "The experience is difficult to describe." Rin smiled, reaching up to cup his face in her hands. He turned his head to kiss her palm and then leaned down to press another kiss to her lips as he rested on his forearms. When Rin lightly scraped her fingers down his back, Sesshoumaru was caught off guard and moaned loudly against her mouth as he orgasmed a second time, just as powerful as the first. He felt perspiration break out on his forehead and his arms were barely supporting him. He was vaguely aware of Rin squeezing her thighs around his hips.

"I love mating with you as well, Sesshoumaru-sama. You fill me well," Rin shyly whispered against his lips, closing her eyes to the ecstasy she saw in his face. She softly kissed his lips, loosely holding his clenched biceps in her hands until his climax subsided. Letting him pull out and lie on his back next to her, Rin shifted onto her side, pulling her under-robe closed and using his shoulder as a pillow. She tried to ignore the fact that his robe was still open, showing his toned stomach, muscular chest and thighs, and, of course, his manhood._The next few months will definitely last forever._ His eyes were closed, and Rin felt him breathing deeply underneath the hand she set on his chest.

"We'll be together forever, right, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin asked softly. Rin didn't see him open his eyes. He was having a hard time gauging her mood at the moment. It was pensive-a desperate feeling, which felt happy and sad at the same time.

"Are you asking what may happen if I died?" he responded, his voice just as quiet as hers. He sensed her mood quickly turn sadder, and tightened his arm around her shoulder in reaction. "Our souls are linked, Rin. If we are ever to permanently leave this world, our spirits are to be bound together for all time in the afterlife. At least, that's what the ceremony ensures." Sensing that she was feeling better, Sesshoumaru turned his head slightly and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Aa, we'll be together forever. I'll make sure of that."


	8. Chapter 8

_-One Month Later-_

Rin, sitting at the table in the kitchen with her legs underneath the _kotatsu_, looked out of the small crack in the kitchen window and watched the gentle snowfall that had not stopped for the past two days. Remembering the days when she was yet a child and throwing snowballs at Jaken-with Sesshoumaru looking on with aloofness in his eyes-Rin compared those eyes to the ones she had seen lately. From the corner of her eye, she saw Sesshoumaru enter from the inner hallway to close the window and keep in some warmth. Rin picked up her chopsticks again, bringing more noodles up to her mouth. The past month had gone by slowly, with Rin's back problems worsening and Sesshoumaru's sultry looks becoming more and more frequent. Rin shifted slightly, trying to ease the dull throbbing in her lower back as she chewed on the noodles. Jaken, across the table, was loudly slurping his noodles, which lightened Rin's mood since her cooking had not been top notch when she first started making their meals. Jaken, in his own way, was complimenting the food. _He might even have started to finally like me after all these years._

"It's not too spicy, Jaken-sama?" Rin asked, hoping to make some sort of conversation, even if it only lasted a couple of sentences at a time. The silence of the room, especially with her master's presence, was oppressive. Jaken sort of grunted his answer, which seemed indifferent, but Rin decided to take it as a "no". Putting more of the noodles in her mouth, Rin chewed thoughtfully, looking over at Sesshoumaru, who was standing near the door of the kitchen. He was waiting for her to finish.

Rin swallowed and set her chopsticks on the rim of the bowl before moving back to stand up. Before she knew he was there, Sesshoumaru was helping her up. By now, she knew that Sesshoumaru had assigned clean-up duties to Jaken, at least until their child was born, and set her bowl on the counter, thanking Jaken for his company. Jaken grunted again, waving his chopsticks about, and Rin preceded Sesshoumaru to the inner hallway. They walked slowly, with Sesshoumaru's hand on the small of her back. She could tell that he was pulling the pain away from her, a great relief to be sure, but she saw no change in expression on his face whenever she looked up at him. Arriving at their bedroom, they left their house slippers in the hallway and stepped inside, which was much warmer due to the heated coals in the corner.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, I've been wanting to ask you something for a while," she said, removing her red kimono and carefully folding it. Sesshoumaru, whose lips were a tad ajar once she had shrugged out of her kimono, blinked away the lust in his eyes and raised an eyebrow to show that he was listening. "The...girl who will be born with my soul after I... Will she remember everything that she has experienced before she meets you?" Walking over to the futon and easing herself down onto it, she grimaced at a stabbing pain in her lower back. Sesshoumaru made sure she was all right before answering, watching for her face to relax. When she took a deep breath and pulled the heavy blanket over her legs, he began to untie his own belt.

"Yes, she will retain those memories...after all, her soul-your soul-retains all of its experiences. Are you wondering if she will have to remember a bad childhood? Or a person she loves that she must give up?" Sesshoumaru asked, setting his outer-clothing on the cabinet set against the wall.

"Yes, among many other possibilities, Sesshoumaru-sama," she conceded, playing with the edge of the quilt. Sesshoumaru sat down next to her, sliding his legs underneath the blanket and leaning upon his hand. "What if she has a different personality? Will the memories confuse her?" Sesshoumaru brought his other hand up, brushing the pads of his fingers over her cheek.

"Souls always carry similar tastes and wants...if she is raised in an extremely different environment from you, the differences in personality will be minimal." Sesshoumaru sensed that this answer was a relief to her, but the feel of her skin beneath the sensitive tips of his fingers was distracting him. Rin turned her face toward his hand and he leaned in, taking a slow, deep breath. Her hair smelled clean and fresh, her body smelled feminine and young, and the love in her eyes was enough to stir his longings.

He leaned in further, tipping her chin up with his free hand, and pressed his lips to hers. They had shared many kisses after the last time they made love a month before, all of them soft and innocent in order to maintain a certain distance, but Sesshoumaru wanted more tonight. Pulling back a bit, he brushed his thumb over her cheekbone, quietly ordering her to open her mouth. Her lips parted obediently and he swept forward, slipping his tongue between her lips and wrapping his free arm around her ribs. Her neck muscles had to work to keep her head upright as Sesshoumaru assaulted her mouth, rubbing his tongue against hers and making her lips swell. After an intense minute, he took his lips away to give her a few seconds to breathe, nibbling the skin along her jaw, before returning to the sweetness of her mouth for another long minute of heated kisses. When he left her lips again, she turned her face to the side, breathing heavily.

"We-we aren't supposed to, Sesshoumaru-sama." She knew that he was more aroused than she had ever sensed before and didn't need to look down to know that it showed physically, but they still had three long months to get through before their relationship could continue normally.

"Just kiss me, Rin," he muttered, turning her face back to him. Unable to help herself, she gave into him easily and let him ravage her mouth, returning his passion as best as she could. Another long, hot moment passed and she knew that he could smell that her body was very willing, even if it didn't know better. Sesshoumaru finally ended the kiss, panting as he set his forehead against hers. She felt guilty since her body couldn't allow for the intimacy he wanted, but Sesshoumaru leaned away without saying a word, bringing his arm back from around her torso. It seemed as if he was stopping for the meantime, but an idea suddenly popped into her head. She blushed brightly. Sesshoumaru could sense her change in mood and turned a questioning look on her, even though she tried to avoid eye contact. Under his scrutiny, her blush only became brighter and she couldn't bring herself to speak of what was blaring inside her mind.

"Are you going to sleep?" Sesshoumaru asked, avoiding any questions about the blush staining her cheeks. Rin wanted his hands upon her, but nodding at his question would be simpler than asking for his attentions. Sitting more upright, she made her decision and brought her hands up to push her under-robe off of her shoulders, letting it droop down. Sesshoumaru merely watched, lips apart, waiting for her to indicate what she wanted. Keeping her under-robe over her arms, she let the rest slid away from her chest, and gripped the under-robe together with one hand beneath her breasts while the other reached forward to cup the side of her master's face. Gently bringing his head down, her heart was in her throat and her face felt like it was beet red. He leaned over his hip, planting one hand on the futon next to her and raising the other to mold his hand around her left breast. Wetting the tip with the flat of his tongue, he squeezed his fingers around her nipple, catching the liquid that seeped out and listening to the soft moans of his mate. He ardently drew upon her breast, squeezing his fingers every so often and flicking the tight bud with the tip of his tongue.

Rin had closed her eyes and laced her fingers through the silky hair on the back of his head, concentrating on the feel of his mouth as he milked her. It eased a bit of pressure somewhere inside to have some form of intimacy with him again. Sighing as he kissed his way to her other breast, she shivered when the cooler air of the room met the moistened tip that he had left, keeping it distended. She licked her lips, breathing a little faster now that he was more eagerly mouthing the peak of her breast. For a moment, she was relaxed, her body humming with happiness, and she brushed the pads of her fingers over the nape of Sesshoumaru's neck. He growled against her breast and left another trail of kisses on his way up to her throat. When he leaned away from her, her heart pounded to the lust in his eyes.

"Go to sleep now," he commanded, his voice sounding unearthly but not unkind. He reached forward and drew her under-robe back up over her chest. Rin bowed her head and scooted down to lie on her side facing Sesshoumaru. Now using his knee instead of a blanket, she sandwiched her thighs around his leg, setting her temple on his bicep and draping her arm over his side. He held her close and pulled the heavy blanket over them, glad that his arousal was subsiding and that Rin had tried to lessen the distance that the past month had created between them. Splaying his hand across her back, he drew the ache away that had been plaguing her lately. It was no pain he couldn't handle-merely a dull throbbing that was no match for even the mildest pain he had ever felt. Rin let out a deep breath against his neck and he pressed a kiss to her forehead._She should never have to feel pain ever again._

_-Six Weeks Later-_

It was perhaps an hour before the predawn light of another blustery morning would brighten the eastern horizon when Sesshoumaru sensed that Rin's body was in a small amount of pain, but not from the back aches. Hearing her weak maon of discomfort against his throat he realized that her time was coming, and couldn't control the speed of his demonic heart at the thought that he would soon be holding his first offspring-a half-demon, to be sure, but one that he and Rin had made together. Now knowing what his father had felt, Sesshoumaru grudgingly regretted the way he had shunned his half-brother. Rin gasped and fisted her hand in the cloth over his shoulder, now fully awake as her first mild contraction struck her.

"S-Sesshoumaru-sama? It's time," Rin whispered, still sounding sleepy since she had just woken up. Sesshoumaru eased away from her, getting up and coming around to help her to a sitting position. Handing her a towel, he left the room for a few moments. While he was gone, Rin managed to get to her feet, needing to walk a bit and not wanting her water to break on the futon. Bracing her hand on the window frame, not seeing the shutters in front of her, she held her breath, letting it out slowly as the next contraction passed. Feeling a pop, the towel she had placed between her thighs was suddenly wet, and she gasped more in surprise than in anything else. Waddling over to the cabinet, she found a clean under-robe, and after cleaning herself off, she wrapped herself in the new one, shivering a bit in the room's cool air. She was slowly walking back to the window when Sesshoumaru returned, obviously surprised that she was standing.

"Is it all right for you to walk around like that?" He came to stand next to her, holding onto her arm loosely.

"Mama often told the pregnant women we went to see that walking was sometimes better while they were in labor because it was easier to stand the pain that way," she said, laughing lightly. "No pun intended." Rin turned to Sesshoumaru and laid her hand upon his chest. "I'll be fine, Sesshoumaru-sama. Mama told me that her first birth had no complications, which means my first probably won't, either." He bristled under her assurances, feeling weak for having concern over her health, but they were alone, and he felt it safe to show his mate the few weaknesses he had-all of which were a result of her presence in his life.

"I've sent Jaken to retrieve the midwife. He'll return in a couple of hours." Smoothing his fingers down her cheek, which glistened due to the heat of her labor and the faint light of the morning. Rin rubbed small circles against his chest, smiling.

"That should be plenty of time. First births can take many hours. The contractions will be far apart at first, but more frequent as the time nears," she explained, trying to calm him since his elevated heart rate was apparent underneath her palm. Sighing, she pulled her hand away. "I'm going to walk around the hallways for a bit then." Rin found a blanket in a second cabinet at the back of the room and draped it around her shoulders before making her way back to the bedroom door. Sesshoumaru was already standing in the hallway, waiting for her. Rin brought the blanket up to her mouth to hide the grin that she couldn't keep from her face. _He really does love me._ Sesshoumaru knew what was amusing her, but didn't let it faze him.

Stepping into her slippers, Rin walked alongside her mate, taking slow steps. As they rounded the square of hallways for the sixth time, only a few steps from their bedroom, Rin suddenly gasped and gripped his arm, panting as her lower abdomen clenched painfully, like a severely cramped muscle. Sesshoumaru shot his hand out and pressed it to her stomach, pulling the pain away, which made it easier for her to breathe.

"Rin..." he said, his jaw clenched against the pain he was feeling. _It's this painful? I have felt worse, but this is too much for a human female._ When it seemed that her muscles had stopped spasming, Sesshoumaru took his hand away. Rin took a calming breath and stood up straighter, releasing her death grip on his arm.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said, walking on. He was visibly stunned for a few seconds, but it was quickly gone and he caught up to her in a few strides. _All human females have to bear this pain to give life?_

_-Ten Hours Later-_

Jaken had still not returned, and Rin, having tired of her walk long ago, was lying back against Sesshoumaru's chest. The coals in the corner were warming the room like normal, but Rin was perspiring as if she were in a sauna. With her eyes closed, she tried to put herself somewhere else. Remembering the past weeks, she thought of the times when late at night when the coals were dying down that her hands had wandered down her master's body to open his robe and bring him to climax with her mouth and hands. The distraction was precious but not enough, for the pain of her contractions would seize her attention completely. Sesshoumaru pulled the pain away a few times, but she insisted that she bear it since it was what women were fated to live through. Sesshoumaru now only wiped a dry cloth over her forehead and neck in an attempt to make her comfortable. Hearing from far away the sound of Ah-Un approaching, he felt a tiny amount of relief knowing that help was here to guide Rin through the birth.

"Rin, I must leave for a few moments. Will you be all right by yourself?" he quietly asked, brushing her damp bangs away from her forehead. She made an agreeing noise and nodded. Sesshoumaru edged away from her, laying her on her back and leaving the room. At the front entrance, the human female and Jaken had entered, and Sesshoumaru sniffed the air as a precaution. The woman's face was hidden under a hood, but she was most certainly _not_ the midwife he had spoken to earlier. He squinted in anger. _Why did he bring her?_

"Sesshoumaru-sama! The midwife died a few weeks ago from old age, master! This is the only person I could find to help!" Jaken groveled, bowing repeatedly.

"Good afternoon, Sesshoumaru," Kagome said, bringing the hood off of her head. "Inuyasha didn't want me to come here alone, but he has to look after the children, so I came to help Rin." Kagome had with her a bag, which without a doubt contained whatever it was that women in labor needed. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her and then looked down at Jaken, whose face was still pressed to the floor.

"Fine. Follow me," Sesshoumaru said simply, walking off. Kagome hurriedly shed her cloak and shoes, and then followed Sesshoumaru down the left hallway.

"How long has she been in labor?" Kagome asked. She shifted the bag to her other hand, looking around the place as she walked.

"Ten hours." Turning around the corner, Sesshoumaru walked a few more steps and then slid open the bedroom door. As they entered the room, Rin suddenly stiffened and cried out from the pain of another contraction. Both rushed to Rin's side. Kagome set her bag down next to her, and Sesshoumaru, helping Rin sit up, watched as Kagome rifled through the bag, pulling out odd instruments.

"Have you the training for this?" Sesshoumaru asked, brushing the cloth over Rin's forehead again as she leaned back against him. Rin set her elbows on his thighs, looking over to Kagome as the pain subsided again. _I know her...she was with master's half-brother the few times I saw him. Is she Inuyasha's wife?_

"Of course! I became a nurse, despite the tantrums Inuyasha threw about me spending so much time at home." Kagome wrapped a cloth around Rin's arm, which stayed in place somehow, and attached a vine or something to it. _So she is Inuyasha's wife...is a "nurse" supposed to be medicine woman or something?_

"Now, this device will squeeze your arm pretty hard, but it won't last too long. I just need to check something." Kagome then put another vine, which looked really stiff and had two odd bulbs on the ends, into her ears and pressed a cold metal disk onto the bend in her elbow. Squeezing the first vine rapidly, the cloth around her arm got tighter and tighter, but it wasn't too terribly uncomfortable. If Kagome were looking up at Sesshoumaru's face, his expression might have killed her. The cloth around Rin's arm slowly released the pressure, and Kagome looked like she was listening intently. Then releasing the pressure entirely, Kagome took the cloth and vines away, stuffing them back into the bag.

"That's one of the best blood pressures I've ever seen. You're very healthy, Rin," Kagome said, smiling. Rin didn't know what a blood pressure was, but if Kagome thought she was healthy and knew about these kind of things, then it made Rin feel better. _She's pretty nice._ "Well, it's probably not a good idea to give you an epidural, but I'm sure that something to drink would help a little. How far apart are your contractions?" Kagome gently felt around Rin's stomach. _Good, it's in the right position._ Rin took a deep breath, trying to figure out what Kagome meant by an epidural, but gave up and took hold of Sesshoumaru's hand as Kagome sat back.

"They're about ten minutes apart. They've been that far apart for two hours now," Rin said. Kagome nodded, looking down at something wrapped around her wrist. _Is that a bracelet?_

"Well, you've got a few more hours to go then. Is it possible to get her something to drink?" Kagome asked of Sesshoumaru. He raised an eyebrow at her and then turned his head to the bedroom door.

"Jaken, did you hear?" he said in a level tone, knowing his servant was standing just outside the door. Hearing a squawk, Kagome tried not to smirk.

"Y-Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama! Right away!" The sounds of Jaken's little feet rapidly pattering away signaled his departure. Kagome straightened her clothing, which looked fairly strange to Rin, and sat in a more comfortable position. Rin smiled at her, glad that she was here because it was getting harder to think of something else besides her discomfort. It was a few moments, though, before Rin could think of something to start a conversation.

"You and Inuyasha-sama got married?" Rin asked, brushing her thumb over the back of Sesshoumaru's hand.

"Yes, about three years ago. I finally finished nursing school and came back with Inuyasha to live here. He was good enough to stay with me at my home while I was off getting educated." Rin scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

"Nursing school? There's a school that allows women?" Rin asked.

"Yes, it teaches men and women how to treat people and assist physicians. When we left home to live here, I was able to help a lot of people with wounds from the tribal wars. Inuyasha and I had two sons. That's where my husband is now, taking care of our children," Kagome explained with a smile. Rin sighed, hoping to meet Kagome's children someday.

"Did...did you and Inuyasha-sama perform the marking ceremony?" she hesitantly asked.

"Yes, when I was just finishing up high school. It was so romantic," Kagome sighed, putting a hand to her cheek and blushing. Rin smiled, watching Kagome gush over her mate. Her smile was quickly replaced by a pained gasp and she pressed a hand to the side of her stomach as the next contraction took hold.

"Rin, let me help," Sesshoumaru fiercely whispered, holding her long hair away from her face. Rin looked to Kagome.

"It's fine. Inuyasha did the same for me," Kagome assured her. Rin nodded and Sesshoumaru slid his palms down to her lower abdomen, pulling the pain away. Rin sighed, breathing easier as Sesshoumaru clenched his jaw. _This one is much stronger._

As the next few hours progressed, the contractions intensified, although Sesshoumaru barely batted an eyelash for each one, and they occurred more and more frequently until they were five minutes apart. Kagome, expecting Rin to be ready in the next half hour, laid towels down, left quickly to wash her hands, and returned with her latex gloves. Rin, feeling tired, barely noticed the odd gloves Kagome wore, and Sesshoumaru kept his hands against her stomach to catch each contraction. Positioning her legs correctly, Kagome checked to see how far dilated she was, a practice Rin had seen her mother do, and so wasn't surprised. When the next contraction came only a minute later, Kagome said,

"Sesshoumaru, in order for her to push out the baby, she has to be able to tell what she's doing. You won't be able to help her anymore. Just be there for her. Rin, when I tell you to, and only when I tell you to, push as hard as you can while I count to ten, understand?" Rin nodded, gritting her teeth. As the last contraction subsided, Kagome checked again, and found Rin to be fully dilated. The next contraction came only fifteen seconds later, and Kagome told Rin to push. Sesshoumaru took his hands away, letting Rin grip them as she tried to bring her baby into the world. Four more times, she gave hard pushes, and finally, the baby was free of her body. Though pushing had taken what seemed like forever to her, the whole process was over after a few short minutes.

Happier than she had ever been and relieved that it was finally over, she couldn't hold in her tears as Kagome cleaned the baby. Kagome felt her eyes sting as she cleaned the small bundle, which had little dog-ears and a tuft of white, straight hair on his head. _He'll look just like Inuyasha._ The pup began crying, a loud wail, which brought a full smile to Sesshoumaru's face. Kagome, as she handed the balling baby to Rin and began cleaning up the mess they had made, couldn't believe how odd it was to see Sesshoumaru smiling, but felt happy for them all the same. Looking to the door of the bedroom, she saw Jaken peeking around the corner with an odd look on his face. _Is Jaken actually happy?_ Jaken noticed Kagome's glance and quickly made himself scarce.

"What are you going to name him?" Kagome asked as Rin cuddled her new baby. The baby clutched his father's index finger and gurgled, obviously not too tired yet-reminiscent of his father's stamina.

"Inutaisho, Sesshoumaru-sama's title," Rin said, earning a small surprised gasp out of her mate. Kagome smiled as the name grew on her already. "He looks like he'll be very strong." Nodding her agreement, Kagome picked up her things and the soiled towels, ready to leave them in peace for a while. Saying she'd be in the kitchen, Kagome left and Jaken shut the door behind her.

"He's...beautiful, Rin," Sesshoumaru said, his voice gruff with emotion. Rin brushed her fingers over the skin on the baby's arm, still a bit puckered from being so new to the world.

"You-you do not resent having a half-demon for your first born son, then, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin asked quietly. Sesshoumaru felt the tension in her mood and wrapped his arms around her and their child.

"He's the child you bore me. I could never resent him. I love you, Rin." Rin, just plain emotional after such a long, arduous day, felt a few salty tears fall from her eyes and held her baby just a little closer.

"I love you, too, Sesshoumaru-sama."

_-Ten Weeks Later-_

"Inutaisho! Don't pull on Jaken-sama's robes!" Rin admonished, pulling her son away from Jaken, who was trying to cook lunch. Rin picked up her son, her braid swinging heavily from the back of her head, and brought him back into her lap as she attempted to fix the rip in his clothing. Only a week after he was born, her child had begun to crawl..._everywhere_. Now that he was walking, which most humans didn't succeed at until at least a year after birth, Rin sometimes had a hard time catching up to him, but it wasn't as if she didn't enjoy every moment with her son.

Her husband, however, had not yet returned from surveying his borders. Rin wanted to come along, but didn't ask to since she had to take care of their child. Sesshoumaru left Jaken behind as well, which saddened the poor toad, but he seemed content enough to spend his days with the master's family. Sesshoumaru promised to return quickly, making the trip around his lands faster than he normally would, even though an extended trip was never really necessary. Rin, having gained back her figure from all the running she did, finally succeeded in removing her son's _haori_ in order to fix the tear. Letting her son roam around the kitchen once again, Rin quickly mended his clothing.

Inutaisho's hair had grown considerably, and it was already shoulder-length. Though he was adventuresome and liked to explore, he never really ventured far, and he was only a bit more talkative than his father. _Well... all he really says is gurgles, but he at least tries._

Spring had returned full force only recently, and the cherry trees in the complex were starting to bloom. Calling her son back to her, who was sitting on his haunches and watching Jaken stir the stew, Rin held open her arms as he waddled to her. Rin put his _haori_ back on, landed a kiss on his cheek, and held him to her side as she stood up. Sliding open the kitchen door, she sat on the edge of the porch, setting Inutaisho in her lap. Hearing Jaken's off-key humming inside, Rin couldn't help but smile to herself as she opened the front of her kimono. Holding her son at the right angle, Rin braced herself as he latched on, drinking up his lunch. She couldn't help but think of Sesshoumaru at times like these, and it made her miss him even more. Wincing as Inutaisho's little fangs dug a little too far into her skin, Rin rocked slightly from side to side, rubbing his shoulder. Feeling a tingle on her back, Rin wondered if a breeze was brushing past her, but it felt more like an itch or a tickle.

She rolled her shoulders a bit, hoping that the itch would go away. Inutaisho seemed to have calmed down somewhat and was more conservatively eating his lunch. She was already thinking of what to give him for his first birthday, even though it was ten months away. Inutaisho gurgled, kicking his foot in happiness. Rin rocked him some more, hoping that he would soon start to doze off. The itching in her back became more pronounced, though, and Rin suddenly worried if an ant had gotten into her clothing. However, the sensation started to feel like a warm, wonderful burn that slid up the marks on her back, and Rin gasped, halfway startling her son. _S-Sesshoumaru!_

"Jaken-sama! Sesshoumaru-sama is almost home!" Rin called back, hoping her voice carried. She heard a squawk and Jaken hurriedly waddled towards the kitchen door.

"Aah! Not yet, Jaken-sama! I'm still feeding Tai-chan!" Rin gasped, looking over her shoulder. Jaken squawked again, his funny little apron half-off, and turned completely around.

"Umm...lunch is ready, Rin," Jaken said from behind her, standing in the doorway. Blinking away her happy tears, Rin told him she'd be in soon, and waited for her son to start falling asleep after all the adventures he had gotten himself into this morning. After a minute, he kept suckling but his small hands lay still, and his beautiful golden eyes had drifted shut. Her scars were throbbing with warmth now, and Rin hummed with happiness, already imagining how it would feel to jump into Sesshoumaru's embrace. She watched a stray bit of leaf flit down from the treetops, wondering how long it might be before Sesshoumaru appeared out of the thick forest huddled against the house.

When Tai-chan laid prone in her arms, Rin adjusted her kimono with one hand and brought him inside. His head lolled a bit on her arm, but he otherwise made no movement or noise. She laid him on a small futon next to the table, cradling his head until it gently met the soft bedding, and sat down to eat. Jaken placed a plate in front of her, steaming with cooked vegetables and his own personal recipe for something called Beef Surprise. Rin had always thought it was very delicious, but she was distracted the entire time, waiting for Sesshoumaru to walk in from the inner hallway. She kept glancing over, expecting to see his tall, lean frame suddenly grace the room.

Rin felt her scars calm down, not reacting anymore to his nearness, though that usually was the case a few moments after he was within a certain distance. Jaken seemed uneasy as well: he kept fidgeting, shifting his position every ten seconds.

They were five minutes into their meal when a shadow fell over the table from the outside doorway.

"Tadaima," a low voice said. Rin gasped and looked to her left. Sesshoumaru stood in the doorway, looking as fit as ever. He had discarded his armor and only wore his white hakama, belted with a blue and yellow sash, and his white haori, trimmed along the shoulders with a red floral pattern. Dropping her chopsticks and not caring where they landed, she scrambled to her feet and ran at him, jumping up to his open arms as Jaken squawked in fright and bowed repeatedly. Rin caught the flicker of a smile on his face before pressing her cheek to his shoulder, clamping her arms tightly about his shoulders.

"Okaeri, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin squeaked, hugging him as hard as she could. Sesshoumaru returned the hug, taking deep breaths of Rin's scent. He couldn't smell that she was fertile again, somewhat disappointing him because he almost wanted to conceive another child soon. Realizing that he might want to ask for Rin's permission, though, Sesshoumaru took another breath, picking up the scent of Rin's milk, still lactating inside her breasts. He shuddered, feeling his libido rise a bit. Knowing that he had to find some privacy with Rin-now-he set her back on her feet. Coming further inside the room, he took a knee next to his son and set his hand over his son's chest. Rin watched with misty eyes as Sesshoumaru personally greeted his son, not having seen him for ten long weeks. She had missed Sesshoumaru so much and wanted to tell him of all the things Inutaisho had done: crawling, walking... He could even swim. _More like bobbing in the water while I make sure he doesn't sink, but still..._ Rin was embarrassed to admit it even to herself, but she was aching for Sesshoumaru in a different way as well. Setting the backs of her right fingers against her cheek to check if she was blushing, Rin had the feeling that she was.

Whispering down a "tadaima" to Inutaisho, Sesshoumaru watched as Inutaisho squirmed a bit and reached down to hold onto his father's thumb. Sesshoumaru's eyes softened, but he gently disengaged his finger and stood up. Looking down at Jaken, who still had his face pressed to the floorboards, Sesshoumaru spoke to the back of his head.

"Jaken, look after Inutaisho while I speak with Rin." Jaken gave his affirmative answer to the floor. Rin smiled broadly upon hearing his words and her heart thudded excitedly inside her chest. _I'll get to be alone with him!_ Sesshoumaru turned towards her, slowly smiling, which made her heart jump up into her throat._Sesshoumaru-sama..._ He wrapped his hand around her elbow and tugged her along outside, letting her change shoes and then walking her to Ah-Un. Rin smiled the whole time, feeling restless and on edge.

"Where are we going, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked as he set her on top of Ah-Un. Rin turned her knees towards Ah-Un's heads, making room for Sesshoumaru behind her as he easily lifted himself to the saddle and sidled up behind her. Sesshoumaru reached around her for Ah-Un's reigns, licking her neck as he pulled on the reigns and set Ah-Un to flight. Ah-Un neighed and smacked its tail on the ground, jumping into the air as ethereal blue flames built up around its feet. Rin shivered, setting her arms over Sesshoumaru as he wrapped them around her waist.

"We are going to visit a flower field," he answered simply. Though they could have walked to the meadow using the complex's hidden doorway, etched into the wall, Ah-Un was faster, and both of them were itching to be alone where they could properly greet each other. Ah-Un flew low over the complex wall. The closest meadow was a bit further down the foothill. As the animal weaved through the tree trunks, Sesshoumaru pressed at the top of Rin's thighs, pushing his fingers against the cloth just below her navel and above her pubic bone. He kissed the smooth skin on her throat, having missed her smell and taste after another long absence. Rin laid her head back against Sesshoumaru's shoulder.

"I missed you, Rin," Sesshoumaru whispered against her neck. Though he couldn't drop his hand between her legs due to her kimono, Sesshoumaru rubbed as low as his fingers could go, holding her back against his torso as Ah-Un obliviously flew where it was told. Rin was almost relaxed, feeling something akin to the same relief felt after scratching an itch. However, like some insects bites, the itching only got worse once you stopped scratching.

Ah-Un landed with a thump, swishing its tail around and lowering itself for Rin's sake. Sesshoumaru pulled his hand away, leaning back so that Rin could jump off. She reluctantly slid off, but once the initial disappointment wore off, she ran ahead of Sesshoumaru to the flower field. Sesshoumaru followed, watching her long, black braid bouncing against her back. His lusts stirred at the mere sight of her.

"Come on, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin called back with a lusty look on her face. Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth, aware now that his arousal was making itself known against his clothes. Rin slowed to a quick walk, lightly giggling as a stray cherry blossom petal hit her lips. Jogging out into the open field, Rin was nearing the middle of it when Sesshoumaru nabbed her from behind, almost like a tackle. Rin half-gasped, half-screamed, and Sesshoumaru, twisting in mid-air, landed on his back with Rin on his chest. They landed with a huff and for a split second, she lamented that she would have to clean the grass stains off of his _haori_.

"You are frisky today," she said, worming her way up his body now that they were hidden in the tall grass of the meadow. Sesshoumaru puffed for air a few times underneath her chest, his hair splayed out behind him. A couple of blades of tall grass were drooping down, and almost touched his forehead.

"Kiss me," he commanded, pulling her up with one arm while the other found the base of her skull. Rin softly grunted a little, trying to open her thighs against the kimono's resistance. The cloth finally slipped underneath the _obi_ and she sighed, letting her thighs fall open over this stomach.

Sesshoumaru pulled her head down for a kiss, the first that they had shared for ten weeks. He licked her bottom lip before pressing his lips tightly to hers and plunging his tongue inside. Rin let her muscles relax over him, only making sure to hold up her head, and her body sank that much closer against him. For several long intense moments, they tasted each other and let their hands roam to all the secret places that they had discovered over the past year. Sesshoumaru slid his hand up along the outside of her thigh, underneath the cloth of her kimono and under-robe, to find her bare backside. As she lay sprawled over him, Sesshoumaru found her swelling bead of nerves, which he had neglected for so long, and gently rubbed, finding her already a little damp with arousal. Rin breathed as quickly as she could through her nostrils, but she was still out of breath. She groaned into his mouth, rubbing her tongue down along his as it once again swept inside her mouth.

Sesshoumaru rubbed her for another minute or so, holding her mouth against his. He imagined his member sweetly chafing against Rin the way his finger now was, and it jerked in reaction, still standing straight up from his pelvis and tenting his clothing.

"Master..." she sighed, taking her lips away for only a breath. She pressed her lips against his again, opening her mouth for the tongue that eagerly plunged inside. Pulling away again, Rin rocked her hips back against Sesshoumaru's hand, feeling heated and wonderfully aroused. "Master, I want it inside me." Sesshoumaru's heart rolled over inside his chest and he decided to do the same. Holding onto Rin, he rolled them over. The top half of his head peeked above the meadow's grass when he sat up and loosened the belt of his outer-robe. Rin raised her knees, bringing her sandaled feet off the ground, and let her thighs fall open as she spread open the front of her kimono. Sesshoumaru growled in reaction, hastily ripping apart the last shred of clothing that kept him from her, and sunk down over her body.

"I've missed your taste," he purred, licking the dip in her neck. Dropping a quick kiss to her chin, Sesshoumaru moved down Rin's body, filling his hands with her milk-laden breasts and molding his lips around one peak. Rin splayed her fingers in his glossy hair, which spilled over her thighs and tickled her sides. Drawing upon her breast, Sesshoumaru squeezed his fingers gently, eliciting a strained groan from his mate. Rin closed her eyes, laying her head back among the fragrant grass as he milked her.

"You're much better at this than our son," Rin said, sharply inhaling as Sesshoumaru rapidly flicked his tongue over the tip. He paused for a second, looking up at Rin as he spoke.

"He'll know better when he finds his own mate...but I'd rather talk about you." Sesshoumaru laved his tongue over her, grinding his pelvis against her. She moaned, dropping her arms to either side of her head. "Did your body miss mine as much as my own body hungered for you?" he softly asked.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama. For the past month, I've been tempted to pretend that you were with me and just pleasure myself, but it's lonely that way. I ached for you to be where you are now." She spoke quietly, her eyes closed and face blushing with the arousal she felt.

"I'm home now, love...and I'll pleasure you as often as you want," Sesshoumaru gruffly responded, dropping his mouth to her breast again. He continued to draw upon her, spending many long moments over her to make up for lost time. He loved that her scent kept getting stronger-it made him feel powerful, especially considering the power she wielded over his own body.

His tongue rapidly flicked the hardened nub, swirling around it one last time before moving further down her body, tasting her skin as it went.

With one arm wrapped around her thigh, he gingerly spread her open, eliciting a shaky cry from her throat. Gently laving the small pearl above her entrance and flicking it a few times between each lick, he listened to the beautiful sounds she made.

"Mmf...it feels good, Sesshoumaru-sama." After a couple of minutes, he had to hold her pelvis down, but continued to prod her with his tongue. Her breathless sighs steadily rose in pitch. Her hands, which were holding onto his head, twitched every few seconds. Sesshoumaru then pressed his mouth to her again, tightening his lips around her little jewel, and sucked hard.

"Unh! Sesshoumaru-sama... Don't stop. Please, don't stop," she cried out, needing his attentions so badly that she wanted to weep. She gasped, clamping her hands around his head. Then gasping his name, she wiggled even more.

"Master! Don't stop! Uhhnnn..." she groaned. Though Sesshoumaru would have gladly brought her to climax, he needed to finish so much that his hands were shaking. Pressing the right places, he made her stomach twitch as he prolonged the sensations and shifted to sit on his knees. Her eyes slowly opened. Heeping her thighs up and open, she looked down at her mate, whose arousal stood at attention, long, thick, and hot. Sesshoumaru growled with need and Rin set her hands against the insides of her thighs, smoothing them down to her center.

"I missed you so much. Please...come inside me," she whispered breathlessly, massaging her thigh muscles and wriggling a little. "Please..." A desperate flashed across his face and Sesshoumaru covered her with his body, grabbing himself with one hand and quickly rubbing it between her lips, finding the place where he needed to push. Shoving the head of his arousal inside, Sesshoumaru paused, dropping his forehead down to Rin's and gasping for air as if he had just run a long distance. He gritted his teeth, slowly sinking into her body and groaning loudly as her body gripped him. _She feels the same as when I last made love to her. Exactly the same..._ Rin clamped her knees against his sides, which let her toes poke above grass-level, and barely noticed that her sandals had fallen off. Gripping the cloth on his back, Rin bit down on her lower lip as he completely sheathed himself in her body.

"Sesshoumaru," Rin whispered, grasping around him with her body. "Uhh, Sesshoumaru do it _hard..._" Rin achingly sighed, keeping her toes up. Sesshoumaru whipped his head back and made a loud noise, not quite a howl but almost. Then dropping his head down to rest against Rin's shoulder, he pumped in and out of her, going deep and fast. Groaning his name, Rin rubbed her cheek against his temple as he panted against her neck and fisted his hands in the shoulders of her rumpled kimono. Rin's thighs began to shake and her body jerked back with each thrust. She could hear his body wetly smacking into her own, much different from the sounds of nature surrounding them. The smell of sex also clashed with the smell of the plants around them.

"Rin..." Sesshoumaru groaned, unable to suppress the utter joy he felt at being with her again. She could feel her climax building and found the nape of his neck underneath his long, silvery hair. Sesshoumaru placed his hand over her heart, feeling her heart beat as well as the soft skin of her chest. An explosive sensation rocketed down her entire body. She barely managed to pull her fingers down his back as intense, overwhelming pleasure sucked them in. Rin felt like she was going to faint. All of her limbs were too heavy to lift and her body rippled around her mate's arousal. Sesshoumaru gasped for breath, his mind a slave to the pleasure. He dug his nails into the ground beneath them.

They lay there on the ground, gasping for what felt like an hour. When Rin opened her eyes again, she took stock of the world around her. The grass, the warm ground beneath her, the blue sky above her. Her ankles were locked around her mate, whose body was heavy against her, and his silky hair was brushing against her left arm and thigh with each breath that she took. His breathing was still a bit labored and hot puffs of air warmed her neck. Closing her eyes again, Rin combed her fingers through the strands of hair that had fallen over Sesshoumaru's ear.

"I love you, Rin," came Sesshoumaru's gruff voice. Rin smiled broadly at the sky and pressed her cheek to his forehead, answering,

"Me, too, Sesshoumaru-sama. I'll always love you."


	9. Chapter 9

_-Thirty-Eight Years Later-_

The day Rin died was very sunny and calm. The temperature was perfect, the breeze was light, and spring was maturing into summer. It seemed fitting that the last day for the cherry trees to bloom was Rin's last day as well. Sesshoumaru had felt for the past year that something black was festering inside her body...but she never complained of any pain. _Why didn't I do anything?_ She then turned ill. Kagome, now a grandmother, was called to see to her. Inuyasha, looking the same age as ever, had brought her, and the two brothers exchanged knowing looks. Sesshoumaru felt helpless and weak when Kagome said that Rin's advanced stages of something called cancer were incurable. Not even Tenseiga could save her, for her body would fail her again and again. She had deteriorated rapidly over the next month, becoming thinner and weaker.

Outside the bedroom door, Inutaisho sat with his three siblings as his human mother lay dying. _My chest hurts..._ His two younger brothers, Toku and Genbu, thirty-four and twenty-eight, wore pained expressions. His younger sister, Karran, twenty-five, had hidden her face behind her knees. Genbu patted her shoulder. Inutaisho had still been living with his parents, learning as much as he could from his father, when his mother had become sick. He fetched his siblings as quickly as he could, and each had been able to see their mother for a few minutes to say good-bye. They all knew that she would be reincarnated, but...

Rin, lying on the futon inside with her mate leaning over her, looked much like she had when she was young. Sesshoumaru was amazed by how well she had aged for a human. She had a few laugh lines around her eyes and mouth, and many gray hairs, but she had lost none of her beauty-only her youth. Her skin did look a little sallow due to the illness, but it was as smooth as ever. She held his hand tightly.

"Sesshoumaru...for these next few years, be a good father, okay? I will return to you." She clutched his hand a little harder, her voice breaking, "I love you..." Rin blinked away a few tears, saddened that her time with him would be put on hold so soon. _He's in so much pain._ Rin could sense the turmoil in his heart and knew that he was pulling away the intense pain of her last few moments. Her body was shutting down.

"I love you, too. I promise to look after the children." Sesshoumaru watched as her eyes glazed a bit._She's leaving me..._ He could feel her soul rising up out of her body.

"I'll return...I'll...come back to you. Sesshou...ma..." Her body became limp and her gaze slid away from his face as the light in her eyes dimmed and went out. _Rin..._ Sesshoumaru felt her soul touch his body before it left the room, giving him a lingering affectionate touch. At that moment, he felt something inside him break. As if she knew, Karran started to cry.

"Father?" Inutaisho called, leaning forward towards the door, wishing he could see into the room._Karran knows something..._ When his father replied from inside the room, Inutaisho was surprised at how rough his father's voice had become.

"Yes, son...your mother has died."

Inutaisho grimaced down at the floorboards. He could hear his two brothers growling lightly in an attempt to keep their tears at bay.

A tiny glimmer of hope helped Sesshoumaru through the next few moments. Quite keenly, his body felt his mate's soul enter its reincarnation and a baby's cry echoed in his ears.

_-Sixteen Years Later-_

Sesshoumaru, walking along the path that he had walked so many times, thought to himself again that Rin's reincarnation should have returned to him by now. Jaken had commented on it as well a month past, and Sesshoumaru thought about it daily. _Where are you?_

After his mate's death, he had done his best to teach his children well. They were smart, the best of warriors, with demonic powers that rivaled his own. Inutaisho sometimes accompanied him on his rounds along the borders of his lands, but normally, he patrolled a smaller section of the borderlands as training for when he someday would succeed his father as Lord of the Western Lands. Inutaisho knew that it could be a long wait. Toku and Genbu were currently battling the Lord of the Northern Lands for reign of his kingdom. Karran, who looked much like her mother, but with white hair and a faint moon on her forehead, was still training for the day when she would challenge the Lord of the Southern Lands.

His mind wandered back to Rin and his favorite memories played again inside his mind's eye. They had guided him through the years he had lived without her. It had been nigh unbearable at first. Though no one saw it, Sesshoumaru's heart constantly ached inside his chest. He distracted himself with the maintenance of his reign over the Western Lands and became more involved in his children's lives. The pain slowly receded after a few years, leaving behind a sadness that only came when his memories caught him off-guard.

_"Sesshoumaru-sama, look at Inutaisho...he's so much like you..."  
>"See? The cherry trees are blooming..."<br>"I love you..."  
>"Sesshoumaru-sama...you make me happy, too. Very happy."<br>"Aha! Genbu is just as lively as you, master!"  
>"I m-missed you, Sesshoumaru-sama!"<br>"I'll always love you...Sesshoumaru..."_

By now, though, he felt hope. The wait was winding down to only a few days or weeks. He could feel his mate's soul stirring as if trying to tell its new body that he was waiting for her. _Rin and I will soon share another lifetime._ A faint wind blew down the path, lifting a few strands of his hair and ruffling his clothing.

"Jaken..." Sesshoumaru said, stopping. He looked up at the noonday sky, a crisp blue with huge, cottony clouds in the sky. Jaken quickly waddled forward, bowing as he held the Staff of Heads and squawking his humility. "It's time we found the reason for Rin's delay. We will head northeast." Sesshoumaru had often rested facing the northeast, knowing that Rin's reincarnation was there. He could feel it as clearly as he could feel the ground beneath his feet.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama!" As Jaken ran back to the pack animal, whom his wife had named Ah-Un when she was but a child, Sesshoumaru looked toward the northeast and felt his palms itch in anticipation.

_-Border between the Western and Northern Lands-_

"Rin-chan, wait up! Riiiiin-chaaaaaan! You always run too fast for me," a younger boy called, chugging his little legs as the girl he had come to think of as his older sister raced up the hillside. Though her full name was Shuurin, Okashi had taken to calling her Rin since it was easier. Rin turned back to the younger boy, laughing at the sight he made. Only twelve, his cheeks were pink with exertion and he had dirt stains on his knees and on the heels of his hands.

"Okashi! Your mama is going to have to give you another bath!" she called, continuing on her way up the hillside. The master's house was close, and his family would be waking up soon. _I've got to clean up myself and start breakfast before the master's wife starts her day!_ Okashi was a pleasant boy, a neighbor to the master's estate. She played with him a lot when she was a few years younger, which definitely took a heavy burden off of Okashi's mother, but now that the master was giving her more duties, she could only play with him in the hour after dawn since the master and his family slept in.

Rin was told that her mother and father died in a flood when she was only a couple of years old. No one knew how Rin survived, but local villagers came by later to look at the damage and found her on the roof of their house. She was given to a local lord, who had many rice fields and a rich inheritance. The housekeeper raised her until she was old enough to wash dishes and help maintain the fields.

She had no illusions about her status in life. She was a servant and would be until the day she died. Sometimes at night, though, odd dreams would put her into a sweat. The housekeeper had often heard her whisper someone's name, but it was always mumbled. She had asked Rin once about the dreams, but Rin had lied to her and said that she could never remember the dreams. The dreams were indeed vague and foggy, as if a mist was always in front of her eyes, but Rin had the distinct feeling that her dreams all included the same person. White hair, long and silky-Rin could almost feel it in her hands-and a deep voice.

Last night, the dream had been clearer than ever before. She was walking along a path at night and looked up to find that a crescent moon. It almost seemed natural that the moon looked blue instead of its normal grayish-white. Looking down again, fog spilled in from the surrounding forest and covered the path in front of her. The silhouette of a tall person, whose long hair almost floated as he walked, appeared from within the dense fog. As he moved forward..._yes...it must be a 'he'_-the mist moved forward as well, until it surrounded Rin. Rin wasn't afraid but excited, wanting that person to come closer. Until they touched. Hearing the same deep voice that resonated inside her heart as if he knew every inch of her, Rin shivered in the dampness of the fog,

_"Rin...come back to me..."_ That's when she had woken up, bolting upright and panting. After playing tag with Okashi for about half an hour, she was on her way back when Okashi decided to follow her. His mama was a seamstress, so Okashi sometimes helped Rin in the fields when he wanted company nearer to his own age. Coming upon the master's house, Rin shushed her young friend, waving at the guards near the front who watched her with amused eyes. Okashi saluted them, which the guards returned, and both snuck back into the house. Rin crept back in through the servants' quarters, stepping over the housekeeper, still snoring on her futon, and began to wash her face. Okashi sat outside, content to wait there until she had served her master's family's breakfast and headed out to the fields.

"Shuurin...how can you wake up so early?" the housekeeper groaned, rolling over. Rin smiled softly, drying her hands and face. She then combed her hair, watching the housekeeper fold up their futons. Rin did know the woman's name, but the housekeeper preferred that Rin only refer to her as the housekeeper. Braiding her hair to keep it out of her way while she worked, Rin tidied up her yukata's appearance and put on her house slippers before leaving the servants' quarters.

In the kitchen, Rin started the fire and filled the pot with well water, chopping up vegetables as the water came to a boil. The housekeeper walked by, holding a stack of blankets, and waved once at Rin as she passed. Rin waved back, sighing as she continued to chop. Rin was dreading the day. The fieldwork was fine, but breakfast was usually hell. The master's oldest son, Kagatsu, was constantly groping her without his father's knowledge. He was perhaps twenty, training everyday with his father's soldiers to become a good samurai. Rin threatened to tell on him once, but Kagatsu rightly pointed out that his father would not believe her. Once, he even caught her alone in the storehouse when she was getting more rice.

_She had been braced over a few bags of flour, trying to reach for a bag of rice when a hand shoved her down into the flour bags and another pulled up the hem of her yukata. Rin struggled, of course, knowing who was behind her. She yelled for help, hoping that other servants were nearby, but before a second yell came out, he pulled her wrists behind her and held them together with one hand, using his other to stuff a rag into her mouth._

_"Just be a good girl...you'll like this..." His hand returned to pulling up the hem of her yukata, and Rin thought she was done for, but the housekeeper entered the storehouse, having heard Rin's call for help. Rin couldn't see the look on the housekeeper's face since she was faced away from the storehouse door, but something on the housekeeper's face must have scared the master's son. Kagatsu knew that his father would believe the housekeeper if she told him what his son was doing with his servants since the housekeeper had worked for them so long, and so let Rin go. Rin bolted from the storehouse, deciding to come back later for the bag of rice._

As she ground some spices against the wooden board in front of her, Rin felt her back tingle, and a familiar sensation spread throughout her limbs. Rin hadn't known about the odd marks on her back until the housekeeper let her in on it when she was twelve. Like three long lines, the marks looked like faint scars, and the housekeeper suspected that she was attacked when she was small. Those scars burned once in a while, although not unpleasantly. The familiar sensation was one which Rin had felt all of her life-like she had to leave, to go somewhere. She had trumped it up as being restlessness, but for the past year, and especially so the past week, the feeling had become quite urgent.

She _had_ tried to leave once. She had a bag packed with what she considered to be her own things, and was waiting for everyone to fall asleep before leaving, determined to head where her heart pointed her-the southwest-but the guards were too much of a deterrent, and they would know what she was about even if she tried to lie to them. Though they were kind to her, their loyalty was to the master...not to her.

"Morning, Shuurin," an oily voice said behind her. _Oh, no..._ Rin set down her spice grinder, turned, and bowed down, not giving the master's son a smile.

"Good morning, Wakatono-sama," Rin said, keeping her head down. She heard a little laugh and then he left, leaving her to finish breakfast. _That little weasel..._ Rin hated him. He molested all of the female servants. She even caught him touching the rear end of an eleven-year-old girl who was the servant of a visiting relative. He was an onerous man. Rin felt bad for the woman who would someday be his wife. She would have to deal with his creepy hands at first and then watch as he disobeyed his marriage vows with all of their servants. Rin hoped that she was never one of them. Another fieldworker, who lived in the other servants' quarters, was his current lover. The girl hadn't wanted the job, but she didn't want to be cast out of the master's house. Rin almost hoped that she was cast out-then she could discover what it was for which her heart longed.

As she prepared breakfast, Rin thought of her dreams again, wishing she could see who was visiting her. She wondered about the significance of the long, white hair and a blue crescent moon. The housekeeper walked by again, holding the blankets that the family had used the last night. She waved again as she passed and Rin waved back. Now that the trays of food were stacked with various breakfast items that Rin had learned to make over the years, Rin was washing her hands when she heard the bell that told her that the family was ready for their meal. The housekeeper came in and helped her carry the trays. It usually took three trips for everyone-the master, his wife, the eldest son, and two younger sons whom Rin thought of as being better men than ten of their eldest brother.

The master was an aging man, but still strong. His hairline was receding and the hair above his temples had turned gray. His wife was an odd woman. She was insanely jealous that her husband would follow in his eldest son's footsteps, but turned a blind eye when her son did it-and Rin knew that she knew. Rin set the first tray in front of the master, who continued to speak with his sons as Rin backed away and returned to the kitchen for another tray. She usually drowned out what the master said since it was none of her business and since she really didn't want to know, but today, the master was talking to his two youngest sons about marriage.

Rin let the housekeeper catch up to her on their way back since the housekeeper usually set down the breakfast tray for Kagatsu so that he didn't have an opportunity to touch Rin when she leaned over to set the tray down. They entered the room again and the master was talking a little more loudly as he shoved an entire rice ball into his mouth. His wife ate much more daintily. The housekeeper set her tray in front of Kagatsu and Rin set her tray in front of the youngest son, who was sitting next to his mother.

"Waki's twin daughters will soon be of marriageable age! Waki is a powerful, rich man and it would do you two well to bring our families together," the master bellowed, beating his fist on his chest as he choked a bit on his food. The youngest son, at the age of sixteen like Rin, sighed as he picked up his chopsticks. Rin left the room at that point in the conversation to get the tray for the middle son, who was eyeing his father warily. As she came back, the middle son was speaking tersely with his father.

"Waki's twin daughters are only thirteen, father! They're still children!" Rin set his tray in front of him and then sat against the wall in case they needed anything else. The housekeeper came in with their drinks, setting the tray in the middle. She then left to finish her morning chores, leaving Rin to sit there and listen to their conversation.

"It will give you time to get to know them before consummation! I married your mother when she was fourteen!" the master yelled, pounding down his empty drink. Rin hurried over, keeping her head down as she poured more water into his cup.

"It is true, son," the wife said, her voice dainty and soft. "Your father and I wed when I was very young, but we are so happy now, and I have three wonderful sons." Rin backed away again, having filled the wife's cup as well. _She always puts on a show for her husband._

"I would rather marry a girl a little older, somewhere closer to my age," the youngest son said, setting his empty cup down. Rin dutifully poured more water.

"Heh, so would you marry a girl like our Shuurin here?" Kagatsu said with a condescending tone in his voice. "You marry young to ensure that you have the girl's innocence and fidelity, brother. Girls at Shuurin's age are already spoiled..." Rin saw the youngest brother's hand clench his cup tightly in anger. She backed away, letting the mean comment bounce off of her.

For another few minutes, no one spoke, and the master ate noisily. _Well, it must mean he likes it._ When Kagatsu wanted more water, Rin approached him warily. She leaned between him and his younger brother, pouring the water into his cup. It took many years of practice not to flinch, which would spill the water, when a hand squeezed her backside. She finished pouring and backed away, forcing Kagatsu to remove his hand. Coming around to the middle son's other side to pour water for him, she looked up at his face and saw him glaring at his brother. He then looked down at Rin almost apologetically, but Rin averted her glance and backed away, having refilled his cup.

"Well, we will talk more about this marriage business later. I must now attend to a few things. The meal was excellent, Shuurin," the master said. Rin bowed her head with a soft 'thank you'. With that, he stood up and left the room, leaving with one of his advisors and a guard. The rest of the family ate in silence. Rin looked up only once until they finished, checking the progress of their meal, and she found Kagatsu looking at her. She certainly did not like the look on his face.

_-The Rice Fields-_

As Rin worked, Okashi kept telling her jokes, most of which she had already heard, but they were still funny, and he was an excellent helper. The cool water sitting inside the rice field felt nice on her feet, and Okashi's cheery demeanor helped the morning pass quickly. She felt her scars burn pleasantly again and leaned up, looking around the rice fields at the other workers. It felt like someone was watching her.

"And then mama had to let out the lady's kimono again because...Rin-chan? Are you listening?" Okashi said, standing a few rows over. Rin looked at him, seeing the mud on his hands and the cute dimples in his face.

"Yes, I'm listening, Oka-chan," she said, bending down once again. He continued his story, bending down to continue their work. Rin listened to the same story, half-hearing it, half-listening for something else-_something is here. It's waiting. Waiting in the forest at the edge of the rice fields._ Rin had seen a couple of demons. They were killed as they tried to enter the master's house, taking a few guards with them, but none had ever attacked the rice fields. Now, Rin was afraid that a demon was eyeing the fields...or the workers in the fields...with hunger.

Having finished with their patch of rice field, Rin and Okashi washed their hands and picked up their field tools, ready to have lunch before returning to work. A different serving girl took care of lunch and a third woman, the oldest cook, made dinner, so Rin was able to steer clear of Kagatsu the whole day. As she and Okashi headed back along with the other field workers, Rin couldn't help but search the woods on the edge of the rice fields for a sign of movement. There was nothing, but the warmth spreading along her scars never lessened.

She looked so much like Rin. Her hair was just as long, a little wavier, with the exact same shade of black with brown highlights. Her eyes were the same, and the freckles that dotted her cheeks were even there. In fact, Sesshoumaru could see no difference from where he stood with Jaken behind the line of trees. Finding Rin was not hard at all. Once he had come within range, Sesshoumaru had been able to smell her and followed her scent to this place. _I've missed her scent so much._ She was obviously a servant to the human lord. She didn't seem misused and the young human boy with her seemed to be entertaining her as she worked. Sesshoumaru, using their connection, reached out to sense her mood and the girl stood up, looking almost in his direction. _The connection is stronger than I thought._

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru quietly commanded. The toad was soon in front of him, bowing.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"We shall retrieve Rin tonight. Find some blankets and animal's blood." Sesshoumaru watched Rin as she walked away, feeling her gaze pass over him several times. The servant's work had toned her body well and Sesshoumaru swallowed as he watched her soiled yukata pull over the curves of her body.

"Yes, right away!" Jaken scrambled off, thinking to himself that they were almost beyond the border of their lands. _Soon, Sesshoumaru-sama will be content again._

_-Sunset-_

Rin usually bathed with the other field workers. There was safety in numbers. Though she might not be able to stop him from peeking, she could certainly stop him from touching. As she and the other women, some young and some old, dried off and dressed themselves, Rin folded her towel, setting it on the rock in front of her. Okashi had gone home long before, staying with his mama after lunch to help her clean their small home. Rin had an odd feeling, though, and stopped him before he left.

"Oka-chan...you've always been a wonderful friend. I feel like you're a brother to me." Rin knelt down in front of him, looking at his grubby appearance. "Tell your mama I said hi and have a good lunch, okay?" Okashi looked at her as if she had a second head.

"Rin-chan...is something going to happen?" he said, just now noticing that she had been acting oddly all morning. He always thought she might run away...maybe she was going to try again.

"Yes, Oka-chan...I think something will happen. Take care of your mother," Rin ordered, giving him a half-stern look. Okashi face tensed up and got a little red. His eyes shined with tears and a few fell out. Rin leaned forward, letting him set his head on her shoulder as he quietly hiccupped. His little hands smeared dirt on the shoulders of her already grimy yukata and Rin couldn't help but notice how fact he was growing up as she wrapped her arms around his torso. "Now, now...you'll be all right. Maybe we'll see each other again?" She felt him nod against her shoulder, still hiccupping.

Thinking about that moment, Rin felt her eyes watering up, but then picked up her towel to head back to the servants' quarters, forcing the tears down. Unfortunately, she hadn't noticed that the other women had already left. _Why didn't they wait for me?!_ Feeling an impending sense of dread scream down her spine, she began to jog towards the house, but the hot springs they used to bathe was so far away and she didn't think she could make it. She only got twenty feet away from the hot springs when Kagatsu appeared in her path. He was only wearing his under-robe. Rin clutched her towel to her chest.

"Now we can do this the easy way," he slithered out, loosening the belt to his robe. "Or we can do this the hard way..." Rin had the strong sense that she had been through this before...standing on a path, with someone who wanted to harm her standing in her way. _"Of all the days to change your routine!"_

"Either way, I'll enjoy this...the choice is whether or not you want to enjoy it. I can make it feel good, Shuurin..." Kagatsu began walking towards her and Rin bolted, diving left into the forest area. _Help me...someone help me!_ Behind her, she heard Kagatsu yelling. "I must say, Shuurin... This way makes it much more fun for me!" Rin knew she wasn't going to make it this time. Once before, she ran, but Kagatsu didn't get her because he was drunk. He certainly wasn't drunk tonight. He was going to catch her and rape her right there. Rin ran anyway, though. She wasn't about to give up without a fight.

Gathering her breath for a scream, she dropped the towel she had been holding and let out a piercing shriek, "Help me!" Behind her, perhaps only ten feet, Kagatsu was laughing as he ran, a seasoned samurai that would catch her within a few seconds.

"Who are you yelling for, huh? Anyone who can hear you isn't going to help you!" he chuckled, grasping forward for her elbow. It slipped out of his fingers and Rin got a little bit of distance on him when he stumbled over a fallen log. He quickly regained ground, though, and Rin continued to cry for help. "Come on, Shuurin! It won't hurt...that much. It always hurts the first time!" He grasped for her elbow again and she jerked it out of his hand, forcing her legs to go faster. "I've been wanting to rut with you ever since you were fifteen! And don't think you can get away! I'll take you in front of the housekeeper if I have to!"

"Get away from me!" she yelled, jumping over another fallen log and switching directions towards the house. "Help! Help me!" When she heard a heavy thud and a muffled yell behind her, Rin took a second to glance back and see if he had fallen down. What she saw certainly was Kagatsu, on the ground, but above him was something else entirely. Turning all the way around and stumbling to a stop, she looked at the creature before her. Tall and male, with white hair that draped all the way to the backs of his knees, the demon in front of her wore clean armor and a fur pelt draped over one shoulder. In the center of his forehead, a blue crescent moon peeked from behind his bangs. Kagatsu was unconscious...or dead...beneath the demon's feet.

_I know him...he's the one in my dreams. White hair and a blue crescent moon. He's the one who visits me! This is what my heart has been telling me to search for!_

"Are you all right, Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked, hoping the girl didn't run from him. She might not recognize anything about him and almost all humans feared demons. Her yukata was barely covering her more private areas and Sesshoumaru found it extremely distracting.

Both stood there for almost a full minute, taking in the sight of each other as if they were in a stupor. Rin admired the shape of the demon's face-his angular jaw and the red stripes on his cheeks. His stature was almost regal and his clothing was well made and expensive. Sesshoumaru was certain that this reincarnation was an exact replica of his first mate. Thinking of Inuyasha's predicament, he concluded that since he had not performed the marking ceremony with the prietess Kikyou, her reincarnation had varied slightly in appearance and greatly in personality. Rin, however, was reincarnated perfectly, given the same harsh life experiences to mold her personality the way it had been when she first found him so many years ago.

"No one calls me Rin except for Oka-chan...how do you know my name?" She saw his right arm rise, which revealed a blanket he had been holding. He began to walk forward, stepping off of the young lord, who still laid motionless on the ground. Rin wasn't afraid in the slightest, knowing that the demon in front of her wouldn't harm her. _What demon asks if you're all right before killing you?_ When he stepped to within arm's length of her, she had to crane her neck back a little to keep looking into his eyes, which glowed amber in the setting sun. Something in his face changed. His eyes became softer and the tense set of his jaw loosened. He raised his hand and Rin watched dazedly as he set his fingers against her cheek. All at once, a lifetime of memories flooded her mind, making her heart race and producing a killer headache.

_"I love you, Sesshoumaru-sama."  
>"Does this make you happy, too?"<br>"I will mark you tonight..."  
>"Unnhhh...Sesshoumaru-sama."<br>"Am I yours now? Until the day I die?"  
>"You're mine forever, Rin."<br>"Sesshoumaru-sama?"  
>"We'll always be together."<br>"So you liked it? I'll have to remember that."  
>"Rin..."<br>"Aa, my love. That's a promise."  
>"Sesshoumaru-sama? Where are you?"<br>"It's good to be home."  
>"...Sesshoumaru?"<br>"Stop it, that tickles!"  
>"Sesshoumaru-sama, I...I need you..."<br>"Did you hear the change, Rin?"  
>"Sesshoumaru..."<br>"Sleep comes easier when I'm with you."  
>"It's a beautiful day, Sesshoumaru-sama."<br>"Rin...you look beautiful today."  
>"Look at him! Isn't he beautiful?"<br>"He's...beautiful, Rin."  
>"If I lost you, I would be broken."<br>"...Sesshoumaru!"  
>"Do you want me inside of you, Rin?"<br>"Happy Birthday...Rin."  
>"I love you so much."<br>"My haven is being with you."  
>"I shall be here when you return."<br>"If I desperately need you here, promise you'll come."  
>"I promise."<br>"I love you, Rin."  
>"Sesshoumaru!"<br>"Now come to bed, Rin."  
>"I'm happiest when I'm with you, Sesshoumaru-sama."<br>"Can you feel that, Rin? Like you've finally come awake?"  
>"...Make love to me."<br>"Rin..."  
>"Aa, we'll be together forever. I'll make sure of that."<br>"Sesshoumaru..."  
>"Just kiss me, Rin."<br>"Inutaisho! Don't slobber on your father's armor!"  
>"Come on, Sesshoumaru-sama!"<br>"I love you, Rin...so much."  
>"I'll always love you."<br>"I'll...come back to you."  
>"Sesshoumaru..."<em>

It was too much. The immense amount of knowledge, emotion, memories, and answers all bombarded her at once. _He's my soul mate. I've been dreaming of him my whole life._ Rin's vision blurred and the pounding headache took over. Sesshoumaru watched Rin's eyes stare through him as they followed all of her old memories, flashing fast over her gaze. When her eyes rolled back into her head, he grasped at her and held her up as she fainted. Her smell was so strong from this close that Sesshoumaru's heart was pounding from the intensity of it all. He ripped a good chunk of her yukata off and tore a few holes in it before throwing it on the ground. Then wrapping her with the blanket, he held her up and called for Jaken, who appeared with a gourd of chicken blood.

"Dump the blood onto the yukata and a trail leading off to the northeast. A riot against the northern demons could help Toku and Genbu." Sesshoumaru then secured his hold around his mate, his mind already grinding out new plans.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken yelled, popping open the gourd. Jaken chanced a look at Rin's reincarnation, grudgingly delighted that they had found her intact. Sesshoumaru turned and began to walk back to Ah-Un. Losing her once had almost killed him. He wasn't going to lose her again...ever.


	10. Chapter 10

The first thing Rin could sense again after she fainted in the forest was the sound of a thousand locusts singing to each other. It felt a little too hot, which made her restless, and she had an itch on her nose. Taking a deeper breath, she snuggled against something solid underneath her head, rubbing the itch on the tip of her nose. _Smells nice...and familiar...everything feels familiar._ She felt a hand brush her hair off of her neck and was grateful that some cooler air was touching her skin. Sighing, Rin vaguely wondered what her awful nightmare had been...because she could feel an uncomfortable foreboding that nagged at the edges of her mind. She was still sleepy, though, and just wanted to continue sleeping, but the nagging feeling that something was amiss became more persistent. _Where am I?_ That was enough reason for Rin to open her eyes a little, if only to make sure that she could see the housekeeper dozing off to the side. What she saw was endless forest, dotted with shafts of sunlight streaking down from the canopy.

Confused, Rin turned to look at what she was laying on and found two deep golden eyes staring back at her. At once, her heart was awake as well, fluttering against her ribs like a bird inside a cage. She pushed away from the demon, falling back onto her rear end, and tried to get her bearings. He sat up as well, looking at her calmly. _Sesshoumaru..._ His clothing, having come loose while she wriggled around as she slumbered, sagged away from his chest, and the sight captivated Rin for a few breathless seconds. Her heart ached painfully inside her chest as she looked at him, in turmoil over what had recently happened. Ah-Un was asleep a few dozen feet behind Sesshoumaru.

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked. Her throat was parched, making her voice sound harsh. Sesshoumaru lowered his eyes and kept them there as he reached for a water gourd to the side of the makeshift bed. Rin looked down at her _new_ under-robe and found that a great deal of her cleavage was showing. Hurriedly shutting the robe, mostly in embarrassment rather than fear, Rin looked up again, finding his eyes once again boring into hers. She edged closer, taking the water gourd from his outstretched arm.

"A day and a half. Jaken is in the northern lands, checking on Toku and Genbu. We are a day's travel from home," he explained, leaning back on one arm and draping his other on an upraised knee. He hadn't bothered to close the gap in his own robe. Rin was still caught up with the mention of her two younger boys. _My sons..._ Rin felt like she was in a surreal illusion. She desperately loved the demon in front of her and she knew everything about him and their life together, but the past sixteen years of this life now seemed like they had passed by in a dream, as if Rin had been asleep until the second he touched his fingers to her cheek. It was disturbing.

Sesshoumaru sat there, watching his mate as she drank heavily from the water gourd, and sensed every single worry, confused thought, and fear that passed through her mind. _She is still sorting through the memories...but she will soon bear a new grasp on her life._ Rin closed the stopper on the gourd, having quenched her thirst, and set it on the ground, only then realizing that a rock was poking uncomfortably into the back of her thigh. Coming up on her knees, she looked at Sesshoumaru and felt that painful ache in her heart once again. _I missed him so much...and I barely even knew it. He had to spend the last sixteen years with the memories of our life together while I spent those years with only the shadows._

Before Rin could stop him, her mate leaned forward and hooked his arms underneath her shoulders, pulling her towards him. Rin had attempted to lean away from him, gasping as he brought her close, but only half of her mind wanted distance from the demon—the other half wanted to get as close as possible. He sat her on his thigh with her knees tucked beneath his upraised leg and her upper body pressed flush against his.

"I missed you," he purred, nuzzling the spot behind her ear that always made her shiver...in both lives. Rin still felt awkward and embarrassed, not ready at all to immediately pick up where they left off. He was warm and solid and comforting, but Rin was afraid. Sesshoumaru sensed the pricks of fear still plaguing her and vaguely realized that she was pushing against his chest. _Don't push me away._ Sesshoumaru only held on tighter, losing his control a bit as her scent filled his senses. She felt the same, smelled the same, looked the same...she was the same—his mate, given back to him, and he had to have her again.

"I can't, I can't...not yet, please...Sesshoumaru," Rin begged, having said his name for the first time. Her voice only encouraged him since he could no longer tell what she was saying. Searching out her mouth, Sesshoumaru found those soft lips that he hadn't touched for so many years and pillaged them, drowning our her protests and tasting as much as he could. Rin pushed harder, having lost her voice to his lust. _I love you, but please...give me some time! Sesshoumaru!_ Her mental scream had doused Sesshoumaru with a chill and he abruptly pulled back, finding tears on her cheeks. The look he gave her was hard but apologetic and he took himself from beneath her, almost dumping her on the ground. She was surprised by the abrupt end to their little interlude, but was glad that he had relented. She couldn't help but notice his arousal pressing against his clothing and was about to look away in discomfort, but he turned away from her, walking off.

"I-I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin called, feeling hot and bothered but also awkward and clumsy for the way she rejected him. She came to her feet, looking down at the heavy blanket and the pelt that Sesshoumaru had left. She glanced up again and saw his form disappearing through the thick forest. _Where is he going?_ Her shoes were sitting next to where she had set down the water gourd and she quickly slid them on, hoping to catch up to Sesshoumaru and apologize again.

As she neared the spot where she last saw him, Rin could distinctly hear water and wandered towards the sound, hoping to find him. It took a few minutes of searching since she never was good at tracking, no matter the size of the creature, but she followed her ears, making sure to note the way back. Seeing the deep stream ahead beyond some brush and a few shore-side trees, Rin peeked out from behind a large ash tree, and felt all the blood in her body heat up and rush to her face. Standing waist deep, her mate was stark naked in the water, from which clouds of steam were rising. His long hair floated on the water behind him and he was standing almost with his back to her. Rin could see the faint outline of his rear end, and thought to herself that he hadn't changed at all. The sight of him was breathtaking...

"Rin...what do you want?" he asked roughly, although not angrily. He sounded strained. Rin flinched in reaction anyway, feeling stupid for forgetting that he would know she was there even if they didn't share a binding connection. Emerging from behind the tree, she approached the shoreline, keeping her gaze fixed on a branch several feet above and behind Sesshoumaru. She heard him turn towards her.

"I wanted to apologize, Sesshoumaru-sama. My mind is still adjusting to...to this and I can't just let myself go when you...when you touch me...because...because it confuses me to want you when the past sixteen years have been spent...barely knowing you exist. And—and it's hard for me..." she trailed off, bringing her eyes down to her feet as she lowered her head. She knew it wasn't an easy transition for him, either, all the more reason for her to apologize.

"Hm...it's hard for me as well," Sesshoumaru said, obviously making a lewd joke that deepened the blush on her cheeks. She couldn't stand it anymore and looked up at him, barely able to keep her jaw from going slack. Her memories _were_ vivid...but he was _real_. Fine-toned muscles, flawless, pale skin, and long limbs, Sesshoumaru looked everything sinful and male that Rin had remembered. The way his long, silvery hair draped down to float around his hips completed the picture. Her body was suddenly ablaze. Seeing Sesshoumaru draw a deep breath, she realized that he could probably smell her reaction and quickly made herself scarce, calling back a third apology as she went.

Sesshoumaru, catching a faint whiff of her arousal, growled in reaction, and stepped deeper into the cool stream water, forcing his mind to other things as steam rose up in front of him. _I won't wait long, Rin...so get used to the idea now._

Rin made it back to the campsite and absently patted Ah-Un's heads as she thought about what would happen now. Walking back to the blanket, she sat down, waiting for Sesshoumaru to return. She hoped that the housekeeper wasn't worrying about her, but she most likely was. If Kagatsu _had_ seen anything, it was of her was running from him before being punched to the ground; and then upon waking (if he was still alive), he would find that she had disappeared.

in wasn't sure what had happened after she fainted, though. Sesshoumaru might have killed Kagatsu for his attempt to take Rin against her will. Even now, her old master might be gathering up his army to hunt down the demon who had killed his eldest son. Rin wasn't worried for Sesshoumaru, though. She was worried about what _he_ would do to her old master and his soldiers if they ever found them, which was unlikely.

After waiting for only five minutes, her head was starting to hurt again from all the worrying she was doing—about her old master and the housekeeper, about Oka-chan and his mother, and about her mate—her real and only master. Rin let her body fall over onto the soft cushion of his fur pelt, needing a few more minutes of sleep before he came back from his bath. She had always loved sleeping where she could smell him...

_"Only inside of you, Rin..."  
>"We may have conceived a pup just now."<br>"Inutaisho, after Sesshoumaru's title."  
>"Sesshoumaru-sama? Can we have another child?"<br>"As many as I can give you..."  
>"Toku looks so much like his father...red stripes on the cheeks. He's beautiful."<br>"I love you, Rin."  
>"Mother, where are you?"<br>"I'm pregnant again, Sesshoumaru-sama."  
>"Rin..."<br>"You look so beautiful, especially when you're pregnant."  
>"Hah! You say that because you like it when my breasts get bigger! I know you!"<br>"Rin, you know me too well."  
>"I love you..."<br>"Genbu has my eyes! Do you see? And your red stripes, too! I love all the children you give me..."  
>"Inutaisho...Toku...Genbu...your mother will always love you."<br>"Rin, you wish for another child, don't you?"  
>"Sesshoumaru-sama, you know me too well."<br>"I love giving them to you."  
>"A girl? Finally, a girl! She's so beautiful...and she has her father's crescent moon. Karran..."<br>"Mother?"  
>"Father will be home soon."<br>"Where's your sister?"  
>"She's bothering Jaken again, I'm sure."<br>"I love you, Sesshoumaru-sama..."  
>"Rin...you always give me wonderful children."<br>"Your mother loves you..."  
>"Sesshoumaru..."<em>

Waking up again, her hair was being blown about quite a bit, but she was warm enough, snuggled against Sesshoumaru's chest. Rin opened her eyes to see why it was suddenly so windy, and only saw clouds floating by. She jerked awake, clinging to Sesshoumaru as she looked down and saw that they were riding Ah-Un over the forest...a long way down. It was a sight Rin was used to, now that her memories were restored, but she certainly wasn't expecting to be flying several hundred feet aboveground when she woke up from her nap. Sesshoumaru's arms tightened around her torso, calming Rin down.

"H—how did we get up here?" Rin asked, looking up at her mate's calm face. He was watching the sky in front of them, scanning the clouds as they traveled.

"When I returned, you had fallen asleep on the blanket. I tried to wake you, but you were dead to the world, I suppose. I simply took off with you. You have been sleeping for the past four hours," Sesshoumaru explained, leaving out how he had taken a few moments to peek at her nudity before closing her under-robe and taking off on Ah-Un. He just couldn't resist...

_Four hours?! Why am I so tired?_ Rin could guess that the odd situation she was going through and all the worrying she was doing had exhausted her, but she didn't like thinking of herself as being a weak person. After another hour of traveling, the wind was becoming a little colder as the sun neared the western horizon a little off to their right. Rin shivered, curling closer to the ever-lasting warmth of her master's body. Sesshoumaru pulled the pelt around her, only letting her head peak around the white fur. Rin watched the ground move far below as they flew to their home, feeling surprisingly happy in Sesshoumaru's arms despite the awkwardness she had felt earlier that day.

Thinking over her memories of her children, she felt her heart swell with motherly pride and affection. Even at sixteen, she had wanted children ever since she met Oka-chan. He was a rare joy to be around and she was jealous that his mother got to tuck him in every night. Now knowing that she had four children of her own, even though they were already grown, she couldn't wait to see them again. She only hoped that they wanted to see her.

The sun was sinking into the earth, lighting it on fire as it went. It had been only a couple of days since her life had completely changed...or rather, had become normal again. Rin thought of the night ahead of her and the fact that her mate would most certainly expect quite a lot of 'affection' from her. Rin found herself wanting to give it...her mind's take on the conflicting memories between her past life and her current one was sorting itself out, clearing up, and relieving the pain in her head. At first, the memories didn't feel like they were hers—it felt as if they were another person's treasured keepsakes of a wonderful life. It was unmistakable, though, that Rin knew these memories were hers the more she pondered over them, letting them sink in.

"We will rest for the night," Sesshoumaru said, spurring Ah-Un to look for a landing spot. It was only a few minutes before they touched the ground with a resounding thud. Sesshoumaru gracefully swung off of the pack animal's back, pulling Rin down with him. Ah-Un immediately settled onto its haunches, not bothering to find another place to sleep. The sun was almost gone now, which meant that the locusts had quieted a bit to let the crickets make their own noises. Rin stood in the middle of the tiny clearing, littered as it was with sharp twigs, as Sesshoumaru sniffed the air and walked around. She began to clear the ground a bit, tossing the kindling off to the sides. Once a large enough area was free of debris, Rin walked back to Ah-Un and pulled a blanket from one of its satchels, not at all surprised that she knew where they were kept. Her heart was beating fast and she knew Sesshoumaru could tell.

"There is a stream fifty yards to the south," Sesshoumaru pointed out, watching her as he removed his armor. Rin knew that the tingles and chills running through her body were from excitement—not fear—but she was also nervous. She was once again a virgin and rending her innocence was going to bring pain. _And it's been so long..._

Rin found a towel and soap in the pack animal's satchel. She stared at the soap for a few seconds, smelling the scent she used to wear all the time. Her eyes stung a bit and she looked to Sesshoumaru, who had paused in the middle of tugging off the belt to his outer robe. He was looking at her with a concerned expression, but she swallowed and quickly walked off, headed south. The bank to the stream was a bit steep, but Rin managed to reach the water without taking a spill, and she tested the temperature with her fingers. The water wasn't too cold yet since summer was just beginning to wane into fall. She hurriedly removed her inner-robe, folding it and setting it on a dry spot along the steep bank. The streambed was slippery, but Rin was careful and soon had a good lather going in her hair.

Just thinking about what she and her mate would be doing in possibly less than half an hour made her skin goose bump with nervous excitement. She was looking forward to it, and yet... She had gone from being a servant of a rich lord to being the wife of a lord demon so quickly. It was a surreal experience, but only because she had grown used to her life as a servant. She had already settled in her mind what the rest of her life would be—_that's why it's so hard to ponder a different life with Sesshoumaru._

Carefully lowering herself to her knees, she leaned to the side to start rinsing out her hair, listening to a couple of dragonflies further upstream as they quarreled with each other. Having firmly established in her mind what she felt about Sesshoumaru, their children, and their life together, and what _she_ wanted, she felt a heavy burden lift away from her heart and mind. _I love Sesshoumaru...and I want to be with him as I once was._

_I always want to be with him._

Squeezing the water out of her hair, Rin stood up, running her hands down her skin to wipe off the excess water. She turned to get her towel and felt her spine stiffen as she saw Sesshoumaru standing on the top ledge of the bank above her. Rin felt her cheeks redden, but did not attempt to cover herself. The look on his face was priceless. She memorized it—the surprise, the lust, and the love. Careful not to break the spell they were under, she walked closer to the bank and stretched out an arm to get her towel. She dried herself off, patting her skin and moving slowly, knowing very well that she was teasing him. She wrapped her under-robe around her body after drying off, not looking at Sesshoumaru as he continued to devour the sight of her. Sliding her feet into her sandals, she gazed up at Sesshoumaru, holding out her hands for help, which snapped him out of his daze. He easily pulled her up, letting his hands brush her shoulders and upper arms once she was on level ground.

Dusk's fading light made her skin look incredibly soft and Sesshoumaru took a moment to test the texture of her cheek with the pads of his fingers. He felt her shiver. His heart was pounding faster than it had in the last sixteen years. He had to have her...now.

Snatching her up into his arms, which earned a startled gasp, Sesshoumaru gracefully but briskly walked back to the campsite, where the heavy blanket and the fur pelt waited. Rin felt like her heart was about to explode. Sesshoumaru set her on her feet, fairly ripping through her belt to push aside her under-robe, shoving it off of her shoulders to fall heedlessly to the ground. He did manage to rip his _own_ belt. He then whipped his under-robe aside and scooped Rin into his arms. He pressed her bare breasts against his chest and lowered his mouth to hers, seeking entrance to the sweet taste inside. She gladly opened herself to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and standing on tiptoe to kiss him.

The passion was definitely still there, perhaps stronger than ever, and Rin felt consumed by it. His tongue rubbed hers and swirled around it. His mouth sucked gently on her lips, making them swell and blush. She felt something prod her abdomen, and knew without looking that he was very ready for her. Clinging to him with one arm around his neck, she dropped her hand to the hard length jutting out from her mate's body and wrapped her fingers around it. Though her memories were clear and colorful, they were only memories, and she was feeling all of these sensations as if they were new. She was surprised by how stiff he was in her hand, by the warmth of his mouth. She loved how his arms felt pressed tightly against her back, and how his long, silky hair glided over her arm.

When her fingers slowly curled around him, Sesshoumaru moaned into her mouth, feeling as if he might spill right into her warm hand. _Not yet..._ When she carefully pulled her fingers over his length, slowly pumping her hand, Sesshoumaru pulled his mouth away from her, growling. He gripped her wrist to stop her, panting, a fine sheen of perspiration starting to form on his skin.

"Too much," he gasped out, looking down into his mate's warm, brown eyes. Though Rin knew of his preference to always leave his seed inside her body, she once caught him off-guard in her past life. They had been lying in bed, having fondled with each other for quite a while, and she had been stimulating him with her hand. She accidentally brushed her fingers over the nape of his neck, and Sesshoumaru was unable to help himself once their connection 'added fuel to the fire.' He had gasped and orgasmed onto her stomach and hand. Though it surprised Rin since it was the first time it had happened, she wasn't upset, but Sesshoumaru was greatly disappointed with himself. After that, he was much more careful and Rin silently wished to herself sometimes that he would let his guard down again because she had actually found the whole ordeal to be somewhat...erotic.

"Rin...I may not be able to rend your innocence delicately," he said with a gruff voice, gently pressing down on her shoulders to seat her on the blanket. He knew he couldn't wait much longer, and that when his control broke, Rin would be in pain. She watched his eyes, noticing that they were darker, closer to a honey color, which meant that he was aroused to a fever pitch. She loved it when his eyes were that color. Nodding in acknowledgement and lying back, she made herself comfortable on the thick blanket, cushioned behind the head by the fur pelt. She looked at her mate almost in awe. He was crouched before her with his silvery hair spilling over his shoulders and onto her thighs. His eyes, usually cold, were always warm for her, and now they were staring at her with a wicked heat that slid over her skin.

He crawled up her body, firmly spreading her thighs and sliding his chest up her torso before settling over her. The air around them seemed to crackle with energy and she closed her eyes to the intense gaze of her mate, who leaned down and licked her neck, inhaling her scent and letting it drive him insane. She raised her knees, setting her feet flat on the ground, and tried to stay calm as she reveled in the feel of his body pressing her down and his manhood nestling close against her. The first time they had made love in the hot springs, the mineral-rich water was an excellent lubricant for gently breaking her hymen, so Sesshoumaru wanted to take a couple of minutes, if he could, to let Rin create her own. The only problem would be if he were unable to wait...

Rin set her hands on his shoulders, spreading her knees a bit farther apart, and sighed when she felt his hand brushing down her stomach. When his fingers touched her between her thighs, her breath caught in her throat. Sesshoumaru purred against her neck, happy to confirm that she was already well lubricated. He tenderly parted her, delighting in every gasp and sigh that she made, and nudged the tip of his aching arousal to the warm, wet place where he wanted to be.

"Master..." Rin breathed out. Sesshoumaru clenched his teeth, holding back the sensations that had begun to crawl up his length, and brought his head up to look down into her eyes. He pressed forward, groaning when he felt how tight she was. _It's too much..._ He clenched the blanket beneath them, trying to summon the will to calm himself down.

Rin wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer, but abruptly released him when the first stab of pain hit her. He gritted his teeth and groaned, only wanting to go deeper, but knew that this first time, only a pain strong enough to dampen the pleasure would follow.

"Sesshoumaru...make love to me," she whispered, sensing that he was close to having some control over his body again. She checked his pulse by setting her palm over his heart, and was surprised that it was pounding so fast. _I missed you, too..._ She left a few small kisses on his cheeks, and was about to give him an open-mouthed kiss when he abruptly pushed forward, rending her virginity with one thrust. Gasping in pain, she felt tears welling up behind her eyelids, and was unable to stop a few from squeezing out. Sesshoumaru pulled back, and then pushed in again. She was pressed back with each thrust, happy that they had fully resumed their relationship—that he was making love to her once again, but it took all her concentration not to grimace or cry out. After a moment or two, she desperately needed him to finish and set her fingers over the nape of his neck, pulling three of them down firmly. Sesshoumaru pushed in one last time, almost yelling out his gratification as he climaxed inside her. His gasps and growls all reverberated against her chest as he laid upon her, no longer able to sustain his weight on his elbows. His potent cream spilled into her, pumping out of him and mixing with her.

After a few moments, his breathing slowed down and he nuzzled the spot below her ear, earning a few smiles from her since it tickled a bit. Rising up on his elbows, he studied her face, seeing the way the she had looked when she died in his mind's eye. His heart clenched tight in his chest to think of that happening again. Rin noticed the serious look on his face. Truth be told, he was almost always serious, but he always had a smile on his face after making love. Something was troubling him.

"What is it, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked quietly, feeling him pull out of her as gently as he could. He sat back, pulling Rin up to a sitting position. Handing her under-robe to her, he stood up, shrugging into his own robe.

"I have something important to discuss with you, but first, we should wash up," he affirmed, helping her to her feet. Wanting to hold her again, Sesshoumaru lifted her into his arms once she had tied the belt to her under-robe. As they walked back to the small, steep stream, she could sense that Sesshoumaru was tense, and realized that the nature of their discussion was going to be very serious. _Did one of the children die?_ The thought greatly worried Rin, but she tried to steer herself away from that sort of thinking.

Sesshoumaru could tell that Rin was anxious about what he had said, but didn't speak. Skillfully entering the stream without even jostling her, he set her down. She held her under-robe up as she sank down into the cool water. They washed themselves silently, with Rin chewing on her lip and Sesshoumaru wishing that he could take away the burdens that being his mate had put upon her. As he walked back, carrying Rin again since they had left her shoes back at the campsite, Sesshoumaru sniffed the air to see if Rin was fertile, which was always easier to smell after she released some pheromones. Unfortunately, it seemed that she wasn't, but Sesshoumaru knew they had plenty of time for more children—and he wanted many more.

"Sesshoumaru-sama...you're worrying me. What do you want to talk about?" Rin asked as she gained her footing. She had to know what important topic he needed to discuss. _Please don't let it be one of the children._ Sesshoumaru could keenly sense the concern she was feeling, knowing that she was probably worrying about their offspring like all mothers would. _I know her too well._ Setting his large hands on her small shoulders, Sesshoumaru spoke in a fierce whisper,

"I've decided that I'm never going to let you die again..."


	11. Chapter 11

"But how? There can't possibly be a way to prevent it, master," Rin said, his words having taken a full ten seconds to register. His gaze was so powerful that she was almost hypnotized by its golden intensity.

"The human mate of my half-brother never destroyed the Shikon no Tama. Do you remember the story behind that jewel?" he asked, barely maintaining his restlessness...his palms itched and his body was tense. It was all he could do not to either take off right now to find Inuyasha, or toss Rin to the ground and have his way with her again.

"A shard of it...was in Kohaku's back," she said slowly, breaking eye contact to try to access her memory. "And his sister took care of him once she was able to remove it safely. After Inuyasha-sama killed Naraku, I don't think I ever asked about the Shikon no Tama again. What ever happened to Kohaku and his sister, do you know?"

"I do not know what became of Kohaku, but his sister married that monk, who lost the _kazaana_ in his right hand once Naraku was destroyed. I believe they had quite a few children...Inuyasha's mate, the girl you saw in the short green kimono, became the keeper of the Shikon no Tama. They burned the jewel with the girl's remains when she passed away from old age. If my guess is right, Inuyasha will soon find the girl's reincarnation, which will contain the purified Shikon no Tama. If we find her first, it is possible to use the jewel to grant immortality," Sesshoumaru finished, watching the play of reactions on Rin's face.

"Really?! We can really stay together forever?" Rin asked with a desperate tone. Seeing him nod in agreement, she felt her heart swell with warmth. "Sesshoumaru-sama!" she cried, jumping up to fling her arms around his neck. Her feet dangled a good foot aboveground, but she held on tight, glad to feel her mate's arms around her again. Sesshoumaru, in that moment, felt like his life was once again whole. He was at ease feeling her slight weight in his arms, smelling her light feminine scent, and pressing those young, soft curves against him. He heard her softy declare how relieved she was. _There's a way to never feel that pain again. I will never let her leave me. She's mine._ Unable to help his roaming hands after such a long time without her touch, taste, and smell, he held her against him with one arm while the other drifted down her side. His free hand squeezed the firm flesh of her rear end, earning a little squirming motion from Rin.

"Sesshoumaru-sama...is insatiable," she said, half-joking. He nuzzled the skin on her neck, and she could hear a low purring in his chest, as well as feel a certain bulge against the top of her thighs. If it weren't for the soreness between those thighs, she might have encouraged him, but instead she pulled one arm from behind his shoulders to indicate that she wanted to be put down. Sesshoumaru acquiesced and set her feet back upon the blanket. Rin could see in his eyes that he was aroused before she would ever need to look down-his stance had changed and there was tangible tension in the air. It was exhilarating.

"Rin..." Sesshoumaru said with a growl in his voice. Rin knew exactly what was on his mind. The lust she could sense coming from him was just as strong as when he had blatantly watched her bathing in the stream earlier in the evening. Though the breeze through the thick forest was minimal, a slightly stronger gust of warm air filtered through the trees, lifting a few strands of Sesshoumaru's bangs, but his eyes remained steady on her face, blazing a dark gold. Not even the small fire, which would eventually die out, compared to the heat in his gaze.

She stepped closer, almost hesitantly bracing her small hands on his broad chest. The cloth underneath was soft, but his muscles were hard. Lifting herself up to the balls of her feet, she nuzzled the underside of his chin, urging him to tilt his head back. Once his Adam's apple was exposed, she dropped her mouth to it, molding her lips around the musky skin and sucking lightly. She remembered doing this often in her past life, kissing every part of him that she loved. His hands came up to grasp her shoulders, needing to hold onto her. She touched her tongue to his neck and brought her lips away before pulling her tongue down to the dip in his neck.

Her hands worked slowly, rubbing light small circles around his male nipples through the cloth of his under-robe. She could hear his breathing become a little deeper, and his fingers flexed around her shoulders once in a while. Once her lips reached the folds in his under-robe, she slid her hands up and beneath the cloth, pushing it to the sides. She noticed anew how warm and firm his skin was, and flattened her palms to feel more of him. Then parting the cloth enough to start working her way down, Rin landed small kisses on his chest as she sunk to her knees. Sesshoumaru's grip lessened somewhat, but his fingers found something else to hold onto as he laced them into her soft, black hair. Rin mouth reached his navel, and she dropped her tongue inside with short, quick jabs. His stomach muscles convulsed in reaction, but Sesshoumaru wasn't distracted from the hands quickly tugging at the belt of his under-robe, loosening it and pushing his robe completely open.

Though the late evening was still warm, his body was much warmer and the air was cool against his skin, raising goose bumps. Rin smoothed her hands down the front of his sculpted thighs, corded with muscle. Moving her hands to the backs of his legs, she slowly moved her palms upwards as she positioned her mouth in front of the straining length just in front of her and breathed hot air onto the tip. Sesshoumaru's hands tightened around her head, and she heard a barely audible growl. Her hands reached her mate's backside, and she fitted her hands to its curves, pulling his pelvis forward.

Licking the underside of his arousal, she used her memories to remember how to please him best. She knew the spot where he was most sensitive, and rubbed the tip of her tongue there, eliciting a much louder growl this time. Opening her mouth, she slid him inside, squeezing her lips around him and rubbing the flat of her tongue over the hot skin. She pulled his pelvis towards her again, letting him slip further into her mouth. As if on instinct, Sesshoumaru began a slow thrusting motion into her mouth, breathing hard now. She took her hands away, having started his rhythm, and held the base of his arousal with one hand while the other rested on the back of Sesshoumaru's knee. She slackened her jaw, letting him slip a little further inside.

Sesshoumaru could barely think, let alone control what he was doing. Her mouth was hot, and her hands were soft. When Rin tightened her lips around him, sucking harder as he thrust between those wet lips, Sesshoumaru's chin dropped down to his chest, and his groans sobbed out of his chest. He thrust faster and her hand stroked over the flesh that he couldn't fit into her mouth.

Rin could feel his thighs start to shake with strain, and his hands had formed fists in her hair. She drew harder upon him, urging him over the edge. When he pushed in one last time and held her head still, she listened to his harsh gasps as he released into her mouth. Her memories weren't very much different, but the experience was new and a little shocking. Swallowing was a little difficult, but she managed it, glad that his seed didn't have much taste to it. When it seemed that he was finished, she pulled her head away, using the sleeve of her under-robe to wipe the excess moisture from the corners of her mouth. She wasn't surprised to see him still hard because in the past when they couldn't make love and she performed this service, he would wait until his arousal abated before coming to bed. She stood up again and watched Sesshoumaru close his under-robe, still breathing heavily.

"You'll walk around for a bit then?" she asked, knowing he needed more time to cool off. As it was, she could feel the waves of heat coming from him. Once he tied the belt to his under-robe, he let his eyes met hers again.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, love," he gruffly answered, pulling her closer to press a quick kiss to her cheek. He stepped back then, walking off in a random direction. She watched him for a couple of seconds before slipping on her sandals to find the gourd of water on Ah-Un. It only took a few steps to realize that her inner thighs were damp with the arousal that had seeped down her skin. She blushed, now knowing that Sesshoumaru was still hard because he could smell her reaction to him. Continuing on to Ah-Un, she washed out her mouth and then drank her fill of water, quickly consuming a piece of dried beef while Ah-Un snored.

The fire was almost completely out and the moonlight wasn't able to penetrate the forest's thick canopy very much, so the darkness was starting to press in on their little campsite. She managed to find the blanket again and lied down, waiting for Sesshoumaru's footsteps. After a few minutes, Rin turned onto her side, facing the smoldering fire. Her muscles felt very sore, but she was too tired for it to keep her awake. She fought sleep for a bit, wanting to wait for Sesshoumaru to return, but it was relentless. Her body felt heavier, and her eyes sagged shut, so she let sleep win this time. Just as she was about to drift off, she felt her mate lie down close behind her. His warm body fit itself against her back, and his arms curved around her, supporting her head and pulling her close. She sighed with contentment.

Sesshoumaru suppressed the urge to hold her tighter, having been aching for her for sixteen years. His relief was great. Feeling his mate fall asleep, he contented himself with brushing the pads of his fingers over the skin on the back of her hand and breathing in her scent as the night settled around them.

_-Morning-_

It had grown colder overnight as the sun's warmth radiated from the earth, and now that it was morning, her hands were cold and getting a little damp from the morning's dew. Shivering, she shifted to her other side, snuggling into the warmth of her master's body with her arms curled in front of her. Sesshoumaru had been wondering how long it would take her to turn over, considering the drop in temperature. She lied there for a few minutes, hoping to fall back asleep for another half hour. She was still cold, though, and pressed herself even closer, bringing her hips flush against his.

"Mmm... Sesshoumaru-sama...it's cold," she moaned, wanting him to do something about it. Sesshoumaru smirked, holding her tighter. Rolling Rin onto her back, Sesshoumaru thrust his knee between her legs, covering the rest of her with his body. Rin, startled by the movement, gripped the cloth over his chest. The blanket beneath her still held her own body's warmth and the demon above her put out more than enough heat, so she was certainly getting warmer now. Sesshoumaru leaned down to her exposed neck, and breathed out hot air over the chilled skin. Her grasp on his under-robe tightened, and she wasn't prepared when his hand wormed into her own under-robe right where his knee was.

"S-Sesshoumaru..." she sighed, feeling his warm hand cup her between her thighs. She set her cheek against his temple, opening her legs a bit to give him more room.

"Rin...you say you're cold, but it seems like you're warm to me," he said, moving his hand to indicate the area he meant. Sesshoumaru rubbed his longest finger along the seam of her lips for a couple of moments, letting her grow damp and kissing the soft skin below her ear. Once her breathing and heartbeat began to pick up, Sesshoumaru whispered into her ear not to move. She made an agreeing noise, and held herself still. Spreading her delicate skin open with two fingers, Sesshoumaru carefully pressed the tip of his longest finger into her warm flesh until he had buried his digit in her body. Her hands tugged on his under-robe, but otherwise she didn't move except to groan through clenched teeth. He then began a slow pumping, careful not to hurt her, but deliberately trying to arouse her.

"Unh...uuunh...master, you make me feel so warm," she breathlessly said, desperate to move against the hand penetrating her body. Sesshoumaru's jaw tightened, and he growled as his body completely hardened in reaction to their play. Now that his finger was slick, he pulled it back out, and found the small button of sensitive flesh that he so enjoyed to play with. She stiffened, restlessly moving her thighs as her memories vividly recounted the more memorable moments when Sesshoumaru's hands or mouth, or both, found that secret nubbin of nerves and teased her to high climaxes. He began to rub his finger in little circles, pushing once in a while. She moaned up at the canopy, moving her hips a little to test the waters.

"I missed this," he purred, bringing his head up to look down at her face. "I missed watching you...and the way you look when I've given you pleasure." With that, Sesshoumaru rubbed faster. Her mouth fell open and she unashamedly bucked her hips up, working the muscles that would soon be ready to convulse of their own will. Through the fog of lust in which she Rin was completely lost, she managed to galvanize her hands to move and slid them beneath his under-robe. One traveled to his back while the other slid down his body. Her arm met the belt of his robe, but she pushed on, eventually find his hip. Rin could tell he was very aroused. His body was even warmer than before, his breathing was downright ragged, and she could feel his length poking her thigh each time she brought her hips up.

"So wet...Rin, you're so hot and wet..." Sesshoumaru gasped, watching the different expressions she made as her body's excitement built. Her veins pounded with a new element, which brought up goose bumps and vibrations as it flowed down her body. Her body rolled back onto her shoulders, and she kept her hips in the air. Her pelvis gave little bucks, pushing against the hand that was moving quickly over the slick jewel between her legs.

"Sesshoumaru..._uuunhhh!_ It's so good! So...ohhh...so good, master! Please...unh! Please! Unh! Uuunh!_Uuuuuhhh!_" Rin cried out. She felt a generous amount of warm, slick liquid spill from her pulsating muscles and drip down. A long, shaky cry broke free of her lips, and she bucked a few more times, gasping as a little more liquid throbbed out. Unable to hold herself up any more, as if some force were pushing her hips down, she collapsed back to the blanket. Sesshoumaru brought his wet fingers up to his mouth, cleaning away the moisture. Her cheeks were flushed, so Sesshoumaru was glad that she was now warm, and all too happy to warm her again if she wanted. He would have thought that Rin was too tired to even move, but the hand on his hip shifted. Sliding down to the turgid arousal still aching for attention, Rin's hand fisted around the base of his length.

The air in Sesshoumaru's lungs suddenly wanted out, and he gasped for air again once his lungs were empty. Rin began to quickly pump her hand over him, squeezing when she knew she should and not slowing down. Sesshoumaru knew he wasn't going to hold out for very long, especially since he had just watched his mate's orgasm, and tried to think of a way to release inside her body without hurting her. He knew she was still just as sore, and he never wanted to hurt her again.

"Rin..._ung_...Rin, I need to move," Sesshoumaru grunted, stiff with the effort of keeping his seed down. Rin brought her hand up to the nape of Sesshoumaru's neck, not about to let him have his way this time.

"Now, Sesshoumaru...please. I don't mind...I-I don't mind it when you spill onto me, master..." Rin hesitantly said, keeping up her hand's pace and looking up at Sesshoumaru. His eyes, which had been clenched shut, opened to look down at her. He looked very strained.

"Are you saying you like it, Rin?" he asked. He suddenly jerked and looked down at her hand, gasping as if being burned, but not yet climaxing. His body shuddered, and Rin tightened her hand.

"Y-yes, Sesshoumaru. I like it...but you don't have to..." she said, embarrassed and still rapidly pumping her hand. His jaw clenched and he gave a quick nod. Rin didn't wait a second more and pulled her fingers down his back. Sesshoumaru yelled out, and Rin could hear his demon's voice in the lower tones as if two voices were crying out in ecstasy at once. She felt several splashes of hot seed hit her thighs and drip down between her legs. Usually, Sesshoumaru thrust a few more times when he climaxed, so Rin pumped her hand a few more times, draining him completely. The sounds of gratification that Rin heard were so carnal that they were better praise than any words could have been. Sesshoumaru sank down onto her, not caring about the stickiness between their bodies since his energy was depleted for the next minute or so. His pants sounded loud and harsh in her ear, but Rin was glad to have brought him to orgasm. She wasn't even sure what it was that she liked when he released himself outside her body, but it made her feel good to know that her hands were enough to make him climax.

A few moments passed before either moved, but it was obvious that they would need to bathe before leaving that morning. Rin listened as Sesshoumaru's breathing slowed down and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, kissing his temple. Sesshoumaru thought of the small quest they were about to undertake and a new sense of urgency filled him. He allowed himself to lie there for another minute, though, listening to the birds waking up, to the breeze ruffling the leaves above their heads, and to Rin's breathing. Suddenly leaning back, which forced Rin to let go of him, Sesshoumaru deftly came to his feet, and pulled her up. She was used to this, though, and closed her robe before slipping on her shoes.

They walked to the stream nearby and Rin reluctantly pulled off her robe, chilled again by the nippy morning air, and the temperature of the water was almost enough to keep her from bathing, but Sesshoumaru held her close while they walked into the stream up to their waists. She scrubbed herself quickly, teeth chattering. Once she was done, she clung to Sesshoumaru, shivering. He walked back with her to the shore, having washed his own seed off his body. He was still confused as to why Rin wanted him to end their love-play in such a way. Rin quickly unfolded the towel that had been sitting on the steep bank and dried herself off. As he dried his own wet skin, Sesshoumaru mentally berated himself for ogling Rin when they really should get going soon. He couldn't help himself, though...

"Rin," Sesshoumaru said, shrugging into his outer-robe. Rin looked up, still trying to adjust the belt of her kimono. "Why do you enjoy it?" It was obvious what he was asking about. Her hands paused and Sesshoumaru saw her face light up. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. "For the year between the time I realized that I lusted for you and the night of the hot springs, I must have brought my own pleasure-thinking of you-almost every night. I had promised myself that someday, my seed wouldn't empty onto the ground but into you," he explained, tightening his belt and adjusting the front of his outer-robe.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she said with surprise, forgetting her kimono belt and walking towards him.

"When you asked me to release onto you rather than inside you this morning, I thought for a split second that you didn't want my seed," he said, not looking at her as he donned his armor. She came to within a foot from him and grasped his hands, stopping what he was doing.

"Sesshoumaru-sama...I like knowing that my hands can give you as much pleasure as my body...and-and it's hard to describe, master," she said, frustrated at her loss of words. "I won't ask it of you again. I'm sorry." She stepped back and bowed her head, angry with herself for acting so selfishly.

"Rin...I didn't finish what I had to say," Sesshoumaru said, his voice softer. She took it to be anger and bowed a little lower, apologizing again. She tensed when his hands grasped her shoulders and pulled her back up. She looked into his eyes a little worriedly, but was relieved when she didn't see any anger in his gaze. "Rin, after that split second, I realized that I wanted to do the things you like. I remembered that in our previous life you once listened to the fantasies I had dreamed of, and fulfilled each one of them several times over, but I never did the same for you. I didn't even think of it."

"Oh..." Rin said, a little taken aback that he wasn't angry with her at all. Rin tried to access her memory for the things she had desired in her previous life, and blushed as she recalled a few. _They're so...naughty._

"Tell me one of them," Sesshoumaru asked, grabbing her attention again.

"Right now?" she asked, bringing her hands up to cover the blush on her cheeks.

"Yes, before we leave, tell me one," Sesshoumaru said, leaning back up a little. She tried to find the most innocent one, but though it was less sinful than all the others, it certainly wasn't innocent. She couldn't bring herself to look at him while she spoke, and looked at his chest instead.

"While I was sewing, I would dream that you abruptly entered the room-you wouldn't say anything, but you'd go straight for me, and..." Rin paused for a second or two, blushing and grimacing. "-And take me by force...S-Sesshoumaru-sama," she finished, closing her eyes and looking down. Though she didn't see it, a large grin lifted his lips. _I hadn't thought of that one yet._ He felt himself stir upon imagining it himself, and shook his head as if to shake loose his shameless imaginings. Seeing that her kimono belt was still in disarray, Sesshoumaru straightened it, putting everything in place and smoothing the wrinkles.

"Let's go then. I'm sure Inutaisho would be happy to see you," Sesshoumaru said, helping Rin up the steep bank as she clutched to the towels and soiled under-robes. She cleaned up the campsite rather quickly while Sesshoumaru readied their pack animal. The sun's rays broke over the horizon when they found their seats on Ah-Un, and Sesshoumaru wrapped the end of his fur pelt around Rin to keep her warm. Lifting off with a whinnying grunt from Ah-Un, they headed home.

_-Mid-afternoon-_

Rin fell asleep for an hour or so after they had been traveling for a good five hours. When she woke up again, the surrounding area looked very familiar. She knew that they were very close to home, and her heart jumped with excitement. Sesshoumaru could tell that she was getting worked up because he could clearly hear her heartbeat pounding faster. During the hour that Rin slept, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but study her face. He used to stare at her all the time. In her previous life-when she was a blooming teenager-Sesshoumaru remembered how one day he suddenly noticed for the first time that she was now an adult human. Her smile seemed easier and more mature, her chest rounded and grew heavier, and her face looked more sculpted and fine. It was how she looked now...just into adulthood-beautiful. He wanted her to always look this young and fresh.

Rin bounced up and down a little as they neared the mansion, and kept pointing down to their home, despite the fact that it was completely hidden. Though Sesshoumaru was glad to be back, even though it was only for the night, he couldn't help but watch her breasts bounce underneath her kimono. He just hoped that he could wait until dinnertime.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! I can't wait to see him!" Rin squealed, moving restlessly. Ah-Un was quickly descending, moaning a little as if to announce their arrival. Sesshoumaru sniffed the area a bit and was pleased to know that Inutaisho was already below them, waiting in case the visitors were not friendly, and ready to deal with them.

Rin was ready to pull her hair out-she was so nervous. They landed pretty heavily, and she was jarred for a few seconds. Sesshoumaru steadied her with his hands on her upper arms and was surprised to hear the rate of her heartbeat. Rin looked around, clearly remembering the scenery from her memories. Her eyes immediately found the full-grown half-demon, decked out in dark blue armor with a wicked-looking sword at his side. Though he somewhat blended into the background, his long mane of white hair gave him away easily. His dog-ears twitched, and the hand clenched over the hilt of his still-sheathed sword loosened. She saw him sniff the air and then his stance relaxed completely as his face changed to one of battle-readiness to one of longing. She felt her heart palpitate painfully and barely noticed that Sesshoumaru was prodding her to get off of Ah-Un.

_"Inutaisho! Stop bothering Jaken!"  
>"Tai-chan, your mother loves you just as much..."<br>"Mommy, mommy! Look, look!"  
>"Tai-chan! Wonderful!"<br>"Mother...are you sick?"  
>"I'll be fine, Inutaisho...it's just a flu..."<em>

"Mother?" Inutaisho called, hesitantly but kindly spoken. She nodded vigorously and slid down from Ah-Un's back. Inutaisho's face reddened and scrunched together a bit with emotion, and he started to walk towards her. Unable to help herself, Rin ran at her eldest son, feeling a generous amount of tears slide down her face. Her vision was blurry but she could still see him. Opening her arms, Rin audibly sobbed as Inutaisho spread his arms, braced for her.

"Tai-chan!" Throwing her arms around his shoulders, Rin pulled him as close as she could, crying against his neck. Her son had grown to Sesshoumaru's height, so she dangled a bit. Inutaisho hid his face against her shoulder, breathing in his mother's scent. He hadn't been this happy in years.

"Mother...I missed you," Inutaisho whispered with a gravelly voice. His hold on her tightened a bit, and Rin sniffed, feeling the tears ebb somewhat. Inutaisho felt a hand on his shoulder and lifted his head. His eyes were glassy with unshed tears, but he could see his father's face. Though his father rarely held any expressions, the smallest smile was there, and Inutaisho nodded in agreement. Setting his mother down, Inutaisho smiled down at her, somewhat awkward with the fact that his mother was once again so young-much younger than him. It was surreal.

"Are you well, mother?" he asked, seeing his mother's kind face smile in acknowledgement.

"Yes, very well. Your father has been taking good care of me." Rin looked him over, trying to check for any differences between how he looked now and how she remembered him.

"And how are you? Are you staying out of trouble?" Inutaisho gave her a cocky smile, rubbing the back of his head in nervousness.

"Mostly..." he slowly said.

"He managed to anger the Eastern Lord. The part of the border he checks lies to the east and Fukurou's retainers caught him and Fukurou's daughter together," Sesshoumaru supplied, earning an angry glare from his son. Rin gasped in shock.

"Inutaisho! You know better than that!" Rin admonished.

"But mom, I haven't mated with her! I love her!" Inutaisho insisted, looking down at his mother. Her face suddenly changed and Inutaisho braced himself. Mother's mood swings were a common occurrence.

"Really? Tai-chan, that's great! When are you marrying? What does she look like?" Rin asked, stepping close and clasping her hands together. Inutaisho's face reddened and he stuttered a bit.

"My love, Fukurou has forbidden his daughter from seeing our son ever again," Sesshoumaru said. "It's doubtful now that they will marry. And I won't have my son marry an owl demon. They are too weak."

"But Sesshoumaru-sama, her father is powerful enough to hold the Eastern lands. That must say something about their strength," Rin pointed out.

"Yes, but I could take their kingdom whenever I wanted," Sesshoumaru said, bracing his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Father, Yokiri is a strong demon! I won't have you say such things about her!" Inutaisho yelled, which got Sesshoumaru's eyes down to slits. Rin saw the impending argument coming and sought to stop it before it started.

"I'm hungry!" she piped up, distracting Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru. Inutaisho pouted in regret and said,

"Sorry, mom, but I have not yet started the evening meal."

"Ah, that's fine! I will cook it. I'm even better at it since I used to cook for a human lord in the northeast," she explained, taking a few steps towards the mansion. She seemed to make a last-minute decision and pulled Inutaisho down for a kiss to the forehead.

"You must tell me about Yokiri at dinner, okay?" she asked, getting a blush out of Inutaisho.

"Y-yes, mother," Inutaisho said, looking askance at his angry father. "I'll be back in a couple of hours. I was going to search the area around the complex. We've had a few crow demons flying around lately."

"Really?" Rin said, looking up as if to see a crow demon above her head. "Good luck then. I'll have it ready by the time you get back." Jogging away with her kimono hiked up a bit, she waved as she went before continuing on into the entrance.

"I can't believe you finally found her," Inutaisho said, looking at the closed door of the house.

"Yes, and I won't let her die again," Sesshoumaru said, which got Inutaisho's head around pretty quickly. "We will leave tomorrow...to find Inuyasha, his mate, and the Shikon no Tama."

"So you're going to try it then?" Inutaisho asked, a little shocked.

"If we find her in time, it will work," Sesshoumaru affirmed, giving Inutaisho a hard stare. Inutaisho seemed to back off and nodded. Without another word, he darted off towards the complex wall, on the hunt for crows. Sesshoumaru watched him go, and then let a little smirk float up to his lips.

_-Inside-_

Rin looked around for a minute or so, seeing that most things were still where she remembered them. It was a little dusty, but she could clean after she settled into the house again. Stepping into the kitchen, she clucked her tongue at the dirty dishes sitting in the wooden bucket near the door. She took out a clean pan and filled it halfway with water from the well. Setting it over the stones, she took a couple of minutes to build up a fire. Then washing her hands, she retrieved a few radishes and sat on her shins in front of the side counter, chopping off the leafy tops. A few potatoes and carrots were sitting on the table behind her, waiting their turn.

It felt good to be home.

Humming very softly, she finished dicing one radish and began to start on another. Inutaisho would soon have a wife, if she had anything to say about it. It would be another female to talk to once she returned. At that thought, she wondered about her other three children. She wondered if Jaken would return before they left with news of Genbu and Toku's progress in the Northern Lands. Sighing to herself, she knew it was a slim chance that Jaken would return this night of all nights. She resumed her humming, barely paying attention to the melody she was singing. It was quiet inside and she could plainly hear the birds outside, the rustle of leaves as a gust of wind caught the treetops. Setting the knife down, she was reaching for a bowl to put the radishes in when the door to the kitchen slid open very noisily. Startled, she jerked in surprise and looked behind her.

Before she could find the source of the noise, though, her whole body kept turning with her head, and she was roughly placed on the table, chest down, about a foot from the pile of vegetables. She felt her arm bent up behind her back to keep her still and winced a little from the discomfort. Her knees felt a little abused since some of her weight landed on them when she was pushed down to the table. Gasping for air since her adrenalin was up, she looked behind her. Sesshoumaru was there, holding her down but not looking at her face. Instead, his other hand was shoving her kimono up. He ripped her belt, which had given her so much trouble earlier. Her neck muscles were too strained so she let her head face forward again and gripped the other edge of the table with her free hand. That's when she felt him rip the back of her kimono, from the bottom of her neck to the small of her back.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! My kimono!" she cried out, upset that the new one he had provided that morning was now ruined beyond repair. Sesshoumaru pushed her arm up a bit further, an action that bordered on pain, and she gasped.

"Quiet," he commanded, moving her knees apart now that he had exposed her backside. She was suddenly reminded of what had almost happened in the old master's storehouse-and what might have been a very traumatizing rape. This was Sesshoumaru, though-her mate both in soul and body. He was granting her a fantasy, and Rin _wanted_ him to force her. Her heart was pounding so hard that she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears. His fingers touched the nape of her neck, and she braced herself. Pulling his fingers down very slowly, Sesshoumaru listened as she softly cried out against the tabletop. Her scent of arousal grew very distinct, only hardening him more. Earlier, when he was walking to the front door, just thinking about what he was about to do had been enough to bring his erection to full attention.

Releasing himself from his confining clothes, he purred a bit as the tip lightly brushed her damp womanhood. She tried to move her pinned arm a bit, but he only tightened his grip. Sliding the head of his member into her warm muscles, he growled in exultation since she was so tight, still relatively new to mating with her younger body. She groaned a little, restlessly moving her rear end. Assured that he was in position, Sesshoumaru shoved forward, pressing deeply into her, stretching her muscles and filling her completely. Rin gasped, squeezing the edge of the table.

"Uhhh!" she breathily moaned, feeling her inner muscles throb with pleasurable strain. He didn't wait long to pull back and buck forward again. Her body rocked over the table to his hard thrusts. He was controlling her and making sure that she knew it.

She couldn't contain the sexy moans and sighs. It felt so good. The way he held her down, but deliberately aroused her; the way he thrust into her, hard but not violent-pleasurable but not painful-Rin knew that it would bring her to one of the hardest, highest, longest climaxes she had ever felt, in both lifetimes. His free hand held her right hip, pulling her back into his pelvis for each thrust. As his pace quickened, her head became stuffy, and she could no longer think straight.

"S-Sess...uuuuunh..." she moaned, dizzy beyond belief. She tightened her grip on the table as if to make sure she didn't float away.

"Let it come, love," he said, his voice low and rough. She gasped, feeling the dizziness spreading down her body. Her skin was tingling as if it had woken up from being asleep.

"It's too much... too...m-much... master! Unh!" she gasped, her body shuddering from the tension. He rolled his hips a bit, keeping up the fast pace, and she half-groaned, half-sobbed.

"You want this. Let it come," he said, a little louder. "_Rin..._" Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth, needing to take a few seconds to calm himself. His mind was entirely on how she felt-he could sense her desperation, but the tightness around him, rubbing over him like a slick fist, was getting him too hot, too close, and he growled from the strain of keeping his seed inside. Rin was panting against the table, gasping as her climax took hold of her entire body.

"Sesshoumaru! Uhhh! Uuuhh!" Rin cried out, which was half-muffled against the table. She made a high, short noise, and stiffened. Dropping her forehead onto the table, Rin's vision went black but her deepest muscles still worked perfectly fine, throbbing fast and hard as she drenched her master's length. Sesshoumaru gasped but held his own, releasing his mate's arm as she orgasmed on the table. Holding her luscious hips, Sesshoumaru was awed by the feel of her muscles contracting around him, and he gave her a few small thrusts, lengthening the climax. Smelling her tears, Sesshoumaru realized that she was crying and leaned over her to check that he had not hurt her. He moved her arm back to a normal position, rubbing her elbow.

"Rin, did I hurt you?" Sesshoumaru asked, removing himself from her body despite his need to finish. Rin shook her head against the table, sniffing. Sliding his hands beneath her, Sesshoumaru pulled Rin back into an upright position, and she awkwardly turned around on her knees, feeling a bit sore and wobbly. Her belt fell uselessly from her waist, letting her kimono sag open from the front as well. Sesshoumaru looked at Rin's face, trying to use his connection with her to determine her mood. She seemed happy enough.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru," Rin said, pulling him into a hug. She squeezed tightly, having been thoroughly gratified. Sesshoumaru returned her embrace, feeling his member pulsate with need and breathing heavily against her shoulder. Swallowing his growl, Sesshoumaru brought his fingers up to Rin's exposed neck and pulled his fingers down quickly, which stiffened her spine and earned him a gasp of desire. He leaned her back over the table again and pressed his lips to her shocked mouth. Bringing his hand down to the warmth between them, Sesshoumaru slid himself into her body's constrictive muscles and listened to her groans as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He pulled back and pushed in again, ending their kiss. Rin held onto his biceps, trying to hold onto reality as she rocked over the table. Pumping into her, Sesshoumaru suckled the skin on her neck as the sensations built up inside. Heat welled up into his length, forcing his focus to a single point.

"_Rin..._" Sesshoumaru growled, leaning back and looking down at his mate as she restlessly moved upon the table. He found Rin's hands and gripped them, palm to palm. Hearing drums in his ears, his own heartbeat, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, feeling her soul brushing his in the small space between them. Rin gasped and stiffened beneath him, squeezing his hands tightly as she climaxed again.

"_Sesshoumaru,_" Rin moaned, pushing Sesshoumaru over the edge. The heat rose quickly and he pulled out of her, resting over her lower abdomen as he orgasmed onto her heated skin. He groaned through the pleasure, gritting his teeth and grasping Rin's hands. Spilling his seed onto her, Sesshoumaru felt like his lungs couldn't get enough air, and his blood pounded fast through his veins.

They spent the next couple of minutes regaining their breath and cooling off, and Sesshoumaru eventually opened his eyes, looking down at Rin, who was self-consciously covering herself with the remains of her kimono. He leaned down over her, bringing his eyes to level with hers.

"Would you like me to do that again sometime?" he asked, brushing the pads of his fingers over her naked thighs. Rin bit down on her lower lip, blushing up at him prettily.

"Sometime...very much so, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin said as he rested his weight on his elbows. A thought then popped into her head. "Oh, no! I still have to make dinner! And now I have to bathe! S-Sesshoumaru-sama, I must hurry!" Rin gasped, pushing a little with her hands on his chest and impatiently moving her legs. Sesshoumaru smirked above her, chuckling lightly, which gave Rin pause. He rarely laughed, so this was something to see. "What is it, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"I missed you...you always made me this happy," he said, smiling softly at her. Rin couldn't help herself and felt tears in her eyes. She pulled his head down for a kiss, squeezing her thighs against his hips.

"I hope to make you even happier, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin quietly declared once their lips parted. "I want to see you laugh more...now let me up, master. I must fix dinner!"


	12. Chapter 12

_-Later-_

After Sesshoumaru had finally let her up, Rin lamented that the kitchen was even messier now and told him she'd be back after she bathed and changed into a new kimono. The vegetables that had been on the table had mostly fallen off, the water in the pot was boiling off since there were no vegetables to cook, and Rin was certain that the room had...a particular scent that didn't belong in the kitchen. Mostly worried that she would embarrass her dear Tai-chan rather than herself, Rin rushed to the master bedroom, hoping to find at least a new under-robe to wear.

Kicking off her house slippers, Rin padded over to the cabinets in the back of the room, clutching the material of her shredded kimono together. Sliding open the drawers, her eyes widened considerably upon seeing what looked like brand new kimonos, all silken and ready for her use. She let out the breath she had been holding and mouthed a few words of fascination, delighted that Sesshoumaru had thought of her. Picking out what caught her eye first, she withdrew a dark blue kimono with gold trimming along the bust and arms. Letting the shredded kimono fall off of her shoulders, she pulled a light blue under-robe out of the drawer and wrapped it around herself before picking up the dark blue outer-robe and shutting the drawer. Leaving the old kimono where it lay, she hurried back to the hallway, slid on her house slippers, and jogged to the back entrance of the house. Barely noticing that shoes were in the back entrance for her use, she put them on and walked quickly along the south path towards the bathhouse.

A little unnerved by how sore she felt now that she was hiking to the bathhouse, she wondered just how rough Sesshoumaru had been. She knew that their intense interlude in the kitchen had been a little too soon for her, but the soreness was even more noticeable now.

She passed around a bend in the path and felt a shiver slink up her spine. Put off balance, she came to a stumbling halt. A vivid memory flashed in front of her eyes, startling her almost enough to make her drop the kimono in her arms.

_"Of all the days to change your routine!"_

_"He killed him! My dear husband, who was so powerful and strong!"_

Blinking, the memory ended, and the landscape from that awful autumn day melted into reality again. She pressed her hand to her chest, feeling the rapid beat of her heart. Now realizing the origin of the memory she had seen on the path with Kagatsu, she wondered how many times she might have experienced similar parallels between lives. Walking on, she tried not to give in and run to the bathhouse now that her fears had been stirred, but it was extremely difficult, and she ashamedly ran the last ten feet to the bathhouse, slamming the door once she was inside. Breathing a sigh of relief, she remembered her lack of time and rushed through her bath, splashing water onto the wooden bathhouse floor in her hurry. Afterwards, combing her hair was a difficult task since her heavy tresses had become tangled, but five minutes of tugging and wincing got her hair free of knots. Deciding to braid her hair later, she pulled on her inner-robe and then her kimono, smoothing the fabric lovingly.

The belt was easier to get on this last time because it was a little stiffer. Folding the towel she had used and setting it on the edge of the empty tub, she carefully slid open the door, a little wary now that something would jump out at her. She walked back quickly along the south path towards the house, hands fisted to steel her nerves. _Sesshoumaru-sama and Tai-chan would never let anything bad into the complex. They'll protect me!_ Nearing the site of the confrontation again, Rin walked even faster, determined not to let the memory faze her. _Why am I so scared?! I'm being a complete coward._ A twig snapped in the forest area to her left, and Rin squeaked and broke into a run. Bursting in through the back door, she kicked off her shoes, slipped into her house slippers and half-ran, half-skidded back to the kitchen.

Arriving a little out of breath, Rin was once again shocked...since the kitchen was clean..._completely_clean. Even the vegetables were diced and sitting in a bowl next to the pot of water, which had been refilled and reheated. The counter and table had been washed and dried, the dishes were all clean and put away...taking a sniff, Rin was surprised to find that at least she couldn't smell their amorous activities anymore. Looking to where Sesshoumaru sat, as if he had been sitting there the whole time, Rin slowly walked into the kitchen, confused.

"S...Sesshoumaru-sama? Did you...?" Rin began to ask, pointing at him with uncertainty. _Did he clean everything?_

"Is there anyone else here?" he replied calmly, keeping his eyes closed as if resting. Her mouth fell open. _He never cleaned...not even in my past life did I see him clean anything besides...his body or mine._Walking over to the pot, the water was still cool, meaning it had been placed there only a few minutes ago. Knowing she had a couple of minutes before she had to add oil and beef cutlets, Rin ran over to where Sesshoumaru sat and landed his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Thank you so much, Sesshoumaru-sama! The kimonos are beautiful!" Jolted, Sesshoumaru braced one hand behind him to keep himself from falling over. Rin practically rained kisses on him, touching her warm lips to his forehead, his cheeks, the tip of his nose, often returning for a quick kiss on the lips. Once she had covered his face with little love pecks, she pressed her lips against his, adjusting herself in his lap a bit to sit more comfortably. Hearing Sesshoumaru's intake of breath and feeling him pull her against his chest, she dipped her tongue between his lips, staying shallow and playing with the tip of his tongue. _His lips are so soft..._

The house was silent except for the occasional breeze and the pot's odd noises. She spent a nice long minute kissing him, hearing his breaths squeeze in and out of his lungs, petting the soft skin along the hard line of his jaw, which moved with every new slant of their kiss, and enjoying the feel of his muscled arms holding her close. Concentrating, Rin could feel the happiness spreading inside her beloved mate. Gently ending the kiss, she was glad to hear his little panting breaths. She set her forehead against his, closing her eyes.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru. I won't tell anyone that you helped me clean the kitchen," she whispered, joking. Hearing a little growl of annoyance, Rin felt his arms tighten a bit more.

"I would never live it down," he responded, using a softer tone of voice. "I'm glad you like the clothes." He nuzzled her, lightly rubbing his lips over hers. She felt a painful twinge between her legs as she adjusted in his lap again and grimaced a little. "Are you all right?" he asked, smoothing his hand down her silky side.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama. But I'm still a little sore from...from the past couple of days." Rin kept her voice nonchalant and smiled as she said that she was okay, but Sesshoumaru almost imperceptibly frowned.

"I was too rough," he stated, rather than asked. Rin shook her head, making a negating noise.

"No, Sesshoumaru-sama. I liked it...very much," she whispered, leaning her forehead against his once again. She felt him take a deeper breath and saw him close his eyes. Following suit, she pulled herself close and laid her head on his shoulder, tucking her legs back against his thighs. _These moments...when it's quiet and we're alone...these are memorable._

She became aware that the pot of water was starting to bubble, meaning it was warm enough for the oil and beef strips. She began to pull away, but Sesshoumaru tightened his arms and kept her close.

"What is it? I have to start dinner." Sesshoumaru held her against him with one arm and gently rubbed up and down her side, looking at her mouth. Rin felt a blush rise to her cheeks.

"Tell me another one," he said, leaning close to her. Though Sesshoumaru had been vague, Rin knew exactly what he was talking about. She felt the tips of her ears turn red. His smoldering golden gaze drifted up to her eyes, but she knew she couldn't tell him her fantasies while looking right at him. Dropping her eyes down to his shoulder, Rin opened her mouth to say something. "Look at me, Rin," Sesshoumaru said, his tone almost demanding.

"I can't, Sesshoumaru-sama," she fiercely whispered, clutching him a little tighter.

"Why not?" he asked, brushing his lips over her cheekbone. She squeezed her eyes shut, grimacing.

"I feel embarrassed, Sesshoumaru-sama." Sesshoumaru seemed to think for a bit, nuzzling the soft spot below her ear.

"Don't think of it as embarrassing," he whispered. "Learning your fantasies allows me to be closer to you, Rin...and I want to be closer." He gently turned her face towards him, and she hesitantly raised her dark brown eyes to his golden gaze. Her lips parted just a bit and his hand smoothed around her waist to the small of her back, supporting her as she sat there in his lap.

"Well, it's similar to the first one. I've dreamt that...that...I bound your wrists behind you-s...s...sat you up against a wall, and had my way with you. I-I...want to...touch all of you...for as long as I want." The last came out in a rush, spoken with a noticeable quaver. Her blush was intense, but she never dropped her eyes from his very attentive stare. His roguish smirk put a childish pout on her face, but all he did was pull her upper body against him for a quick kiss before releasing her so that she could finish dinner. She walked over to the pot, finding a large cup into which she could pour some of the hot water. Dumping the rest outside, she set the pot back over the fire and poured in a small amount of oil, which sizzled softly inside. Pulling over the plate she had earlier filled with thin beef slices, she picked up the strips with a pair of chopsticks, setting them inside the pot one at a time.

As they simmered and sauteed for a couple of minutes, Rin looked back at Sesshoumaru. He sat cross-legged on the other side of the table and was calmly watching her with no visible expression on his face. Her knees felt a little sore so she rolled onto her hip, turning slightly towards her mate. Remembering in her previous life how she once asked him if he ever slept or ate, she recalled that he said he was capable of doing those human tasks, but he never needed to, and so preferred not to. She wished he would eat dinner with them, though.

"Do you dislike Yokiri and her father that much, Sesshoumaru-sama, that you would deny Inutaisho what he wants?" she asked with a crease of concern between her eyebrows.

"I do not dislike weaker beings. I only wish they knew their place, but if Yokiri proves herself, Inutaisho can do as he pleases," Sesshoumaru said, tucking his arms into his sleeves and shutting his eyes again as if resting. She smiled a little, suddenly realizing what his body language indicated. She had never picked up on it before, not even in her past life, but whenever he looked like he was bored and resting, or tried to, it meant that something felt a little awkward or embarrassing to him. He rarely did it because not much made him feel out of place, but now that she had learned something new about him, she felt like she was closer to him than ever. _So that's what he meant._

"You did well with him while I was gone. He's much stronger than I remember. I wish I could see the other children..." she sighed, turning back towards the pot. She didn't see Sesshoumaru's eyes open to watch her back, a little concerned for her. Eyeing the curves that he could easily discern underneath the gorgeous dark blue kimono, he watched the cloth fold around her body as she moved her arms above the counter.

Rin dropped in the onion slices that Sesshoumaru had prepared, noticing that the chunks were extremely well cut, as were the diced potatoes she added afterwards. She continued to watch the concoction she had started, making sure nothing burned and that everything was thoroughly sauteed with the meat's juices.

"Do you know when Jaken-sama will return, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked, twisting around a bit to look at him.

"I expect him to return this evening. If he does not, then Toku and Genbu might not be fighting as well as I had taught them. I highly doubt that Jaken will be late then." She smiled broadly, glad that Jaken was returning so that she could hear about her other two sons. Sesshoumaru sniffed the air and easily rose to his feet. "Inutaisho has returned." Walking outside through the kitchen door, Sesshoumaru stood on the porch as Inutaisho dropped down to the ground, holding two dead crow demons.

"These are the guys I've been smelling around the complex lately," he said, lifting the dead crows. Behind his father, he saw his mother peek through the kitchen door. Sesshoumaru turned slightly to look at her. Inutaisho bowed his head a bit at his mother and continued talking with Sesshoumaru.

"Father, do you think they just migrated this way or...?" Inutaisho let his question trail off. Sesshoumaru's eyes squinted a bit, and he looked to the sky.

"Let's assume so...for now." Looking down again at Rin, who looked concerned, Sesshoumaru smoothed any anger from his face and set his hand on her shoulder. Turning to look at Inutaisho again, he said, "Get rid of those and clean up. I believe your dinner will be ready soon." Inutaisho nodded and bowed his head at his mother again, turning abruptly to leave.

Rin stood back as Sesshoumaru walked inside again and sat down. Going back to the pot, she poured the hot water back in, still fairly warm. Stirring the contents for a little while, she then reached for a large bottle of soy sauce and poured in enough to give the dish some flavor. She was dying to ask Sesshoumaru what he really thought about the crow demons, but knew not to ask since he pondered things for a while before saying anything.

"When will we be leaving again, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked, wondering how much time she had left with her oldest son. Adding some brown sugar, she continued to stir the stew, knowing that she should stoke the fire underneath to keep the pot well heated until the potatoes were done.

"Tomorrow morning, as soon as you wake up." Rin smiled a bit, appreciating that Sesshoumaru always let her sleep. When she was a little younger, waking up to make breakfast for the master and his family was only accomplished because the housekeeper shook her awake. Motivating herself to cook at such an early hour, especially when it meant that Kagatsu had ample opportunity to molest her in some way, was a monumental task. She wondered how the housekeeper managed it every day. Looking at the diced daikon radish off to the side, she realized she wouldn't have enough time to make the second dish before it was time for them to eat. _Inutaisho loves oden, too._

"Is Inuyasha-sama's home far from here?" she wondered, setting a lid on the stew while it simmered. She scooted back a bit, sliding open the iron door to the fire below the pot and adding a piece of wood to keep it going.

"On Ah-Un, we could be there in a day and a half, but Jaken will use Ah-Un to report the news of your return to Karran, in the south. We may need her help with the Shikon no Tama."

"Really?" Rin squeaked as she turned around to look at him. She was dying to see her only daughter, her perfect little Karran. Sesshoumaru nodded, almost smiling. She blushed with excitement and covered her happy grin with her hands. Looking as if she realized something, she leaned forward onto her hands towards Sesshoumaru. He couldn't help but notice that her young breasts bounced a little under the dark blue kimono, inviting his touch. "But...how long will it take us to reach Inuyasha-sama if Jaken-sama must use Ah-Un?" Sesshoumaru regretted that Rin weren't closer to him, or he would have gladly reached forward to fondle her. A breeze from the forest decided to find its way through the open kitchen door right at that moment, and it lifted a few tendrils of her silken black hair as it passed.

"Come closer, Rin," Sesshoumaru ordered, keeping his voice devoid of expression. Rin obediently began to crawl towards him, careful of her kimono so that it didn't get dusty. As she approached, Sesshoumaru said, "On horseback, we can reach Inuyasha's home by nightfall of the third day. It may given Karran and Jaken time to reach my brother as well so that we arrive at the same time." Rin sat back a little once she reached him, still braced forward on her hands. The stew had fifteen minutes left to simmer, and Inutaisho had a considerable amount of crow demon blood on his clothing and armor, so Sesshoumaru felt it opportune...

He lifted his right hand, tilting forward a little over his right hip. Curling his fingers towards his palm, he brushed the backs against her glossy cheek. _As soft as the silk on her body..._ Her eyes fluttered shut, and she took in a deeper breath, leaning into his touch. Opening his hand, Sesshoumaru gently fitted his hand against the back of her neck and pulled her forward, tilting closer to her. Rin lifted herself over her knees, walking on her hands towards him as he pulled on the back of her neck. She thought to herself that the tatami mats felt so much rougher beneath her hands versus the smooth kimono.

Hearing his intake of breath as she neared him, Rin took a breath as well, opening her lips. His lips met hers at a slant, and his tongue thrust between her lips assuredly, withdrawing for another thrust after his lips changed angle. Her hands wanted to touch him, some part of him, so she braced her weight on one arm and brought up her left hand to explore the texture of his ear, which jutted out from his mane of long, white hair. The skin was soft and smooth, molded perfectly to the cartilage of the pointed tip. The kiss deepened a bit, and Rin felt his warm lips pull over hers with more pressure and insistence. Hearing the slide of his skin over the fabric, Rin felt his hand behind her neck move down over her collarbone and turn to cup her left breast through the cloth of the kimono. Making a soft, high noise, she let her fingers comb through his hair as they came to rest on his shoulder.

The tip of Rin's breast gladly distended, pressing through the silk to prod against his palm as he tested the weight and feel of her breast. Sesshoumaru gently trapped her nipple between two fingers, rolling it slowly. Rin was vaguely aware that her bruised knees were dully throbbing, but the sensations shooting through her body every time Sesshoumaru plied her mouth or squeezed her breast were so distracting.

Sesshoumaru slackened his jaw more, listening to the sounds of the room-the subtle bubbling noises of the beef stew, the rustling of fabric as he massaged her breast, their softly releasing breaths, and the liquid sounds of his mouth as it explored hers, tasting the sweet surfaces on her tongue. Beyond those common noises, though, he could hear Inutaisho approaching the kitchen from within the house, stepping rather heavily as if to give him ample warning. He took the hint and gently pulled away, holding the side of her face again as she sat back and opened her eyes. Her cheeks were a little pinker, and she looked a bit restless and dazed.

"Sesshoumaru-sama...promise to kiss me like that again," she whispered, sliding her left hand down from his shoulder to his wrist.

"As many as you want," he said in a low tone, lowering his hand from her face. She smiled gently, sitting back into an upright position on her shins. Sesshoumaru folded his arms into his sleeves, blanking his face before Inutaisho walked in only seconds later.

"Good evening, Tai-chan," Rin chirped, coming to a stand. She walked around the table, not noticing the knowing look that Inutaisho gave his father. Inutaisho was forced to pay attention to his mother, though, when she hugged him-because it was probably as tight as a human possibly could squeeze another object.

"Ugh-good evening, mother," Inutaisho wheezed out, patting her back. Inutaisho knew of his parents' affectionate ways even in his mother's previous life. In his early childhood when he was left home alone for a few hours with Jaken or his siblings, those times were a constant joke between the four kids. His parents always came back a little flushed and smelling different. It wasn't until Inutaisho was much older that he realized what was different. Now that he was in the kitchen, his mother held that smell again, and Inutaisho wanted to throttle his father for the smug smile on his face. _It's not fair that he can have a human mate and deny me Yokiri, who is "supposedly" weak._

Rin finally let go of her son, though she was tempted to hug him again. He had just bathed and put on fresh clothing: black hakama and a dark blue haori, which severely contrasted with his pale skin and white hair. He was so handsome, and Rin felt so proud.

"I made niku-jaga tonight, Tai-chan. Sorry, but I didn't have enough time to make oden for you," Rin said, backing up to check the progress of her stew. Inutaisho knew exactly why she hadn't had time, and his jaw tightened. He decided to drop it for tonight, though, and looked at the size of the pot she had prepared, wondering why she had made so much.

"Mother...can we eat all of that?" he asked, pointing at the pot as Rin sank to her knees in front of it. Rin paused for a second, thinking, and then her mouth fell open.

"Oh, no!" Covering her cheeks in surprise, Rin turned to Inutaisho, looking sad and embarrassed. "I'm so used to making food for a family of five that I forgot it was just you and me! What a waste of food..." she sighed, turning back to the pot and holding her arms close to her chest. She leaned over the pot, checking on the potatoes.

"I'll try to eat my fill then, mother," Inutaisho said, sitting down at the table. Hearing a sigh, Rin looked over at Sesshoumaru, who was rubbing his sinuses.

"You may not have to," Sesshoumaru commented. Inutaisho looked a bit confused, but then lifted his nose and took a good sniff. Rolling his eyes, he leaned forward, setting his elbows on the table.

"What is it, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin asked, holding the lid of the pot in her hand. Sesshoumaru looked up, lowering his hand from his face.

"The boys are home," he said. Rin set the lid down noisily, half-hearing the loud clatter as she scrambled to her feet. Barely containing her excited squeaks, Rin hopped from foot to foot. There was some commotion outside, accented by the sound of boisterous yelling, a few thumps as bags and people landed, and the annoyed squawks of her husband's retainer, Jaken. Rin daintily jogged to the kitchen door and stepped out onto the wrap-around porch.

Standing in the light of the setting sun, her two younger boys were pulling off their dirty armor, letting it fall in a heap on the grass. Two weary-looking phoenix demons tiredly stretched their wings, having flown a long way. Toku, lean and graceful with a narrower face and his father's horizontal stripes, had been wearing silver-colored metal armor that matched his black hakama and white haori. His smiles were softer, easier, but his intellect rivaled Inutaisho's or even Sesshoumaru's. Genbu, almost as lean but just as graceful, still had his boyish grin, accented by the stripes that he had also inherited. His black armor, covered with grime, dropped to the ground with a thud, revealing a relatively clean red haori over black hakama. Genbu was by far the best fighter of the three brothers, but just barely. Though his brothers had the same speed and strength, Genbu had the best sword technique. Jaken, sliding off of Ah-Un, was looking the worse for wear. His hat was way off and his clothing was splashed with mud and dust. He didn't look happy.

Toku's head tilted back a bit as if he caught a scent and he turned quickly to look in Rin's direction. She smiled at him, once again choking up and wondering how much she could cry in one day. _They look healthy and strong._ Genbu noticed Toku's divergence of attention and looked in Rin's direction as well. Both had the most priceless looks on their faces: jaws slack, eyes wide. Without needing to say anything, the two boys were suddenly running, leaving their things on the ground. Rin stood there, waiting for them, and spread her arms once they scrambled onto the porch, not caring that their shoes were still on.

"Mother!" they yelled, coming at her at the same time. Rin just braced herself, letting them scoop her up into a shared hug. She felt her feet leave the floor, and two half-demons buried their noses against her shoulders, hugging her tight. She held onto their necks, letting herself cry as much as her eyes would allow. They smelled a little sweaty and dusty, and she noticed that they ran much faster than she remembered. She felt them tighten their holds even more, sniffing a bit against her shoulders.

"I missed you two," she sighed, landing a motherly kiss on their heads.

Toku was close to crying. He fought it, knowing his father could probably see him. His mother had been the source of comfort when he was young, showing nothing but love for him. She was constantly encouraging him and his siblings, praising them when they did well, and giving advice when they failed. The day she died was the worst day of his life. He never got the chance to prove himself to her and father, to introduce her to a lifelong mate that he still hadn't found. Having her back made that chance possible again, and he was determined to make her proud.

Genbu was in a similar state as his brother. His parents had made him strong. His father's blood and teachings made him a strong demon, and his mother's blood and teachings gave him a strong heart. His mother's smiles as he and his father sparred were a driving force in his life. Like his other siblings, he had felt like he had all the time in the world-he did, to tell the truth. He and Toku had just begun plotting for control of the Northern kingdom, which was rumored to have gone sallow under the northern demon's reign. They were starting to gather respectful, well-trained followers, preparing for what could be an all-out war. And then suddenly Jaken appeared at their campsite, saying that his mother was on her deathbed. Humility and a sense of mortality were finally made known to him when she died. He and his siblings waited for the day that she would return to the family, hoping to show her the fruits of their labor while she was gone. And now they could.

"Hey..."

Rin heard Inutaisho's annoyed voice from the kitchen, and smiled to herself over his impatience. Hearing Genbu's growl of anger, Rin hugged him tighter to quiet him down.

"I'll eat all of your share of the food if you two don't come in and sit down," Inutaisho flippantly announced, lightly banging his fist on the table. Rin felt their arms loosen, and stretched her feet down to find the floor. On the ground again, Rin pulled back and looked at her younger sons up close. Their eyes shined a bit, but Rin didn't plan on saying anything.

"Have you been taking care of yourselves?" she asked, clasping her hands together. Toku and Genbu nodded in unison. Both were in awe of how young she was. They had memories of her when they were children, but even then she wasn't this young. _This was how she looked when father first fell in love with her._Rin beamed at them, beckoning them to come inside once they removed their shoes. Jogging to get four bowls, four sets of chopsticks, and four glasses, Rin brought the pitcher of water to the table just as Toku and Genbu sat down. Then leaning over the pot of stew, Rin checked the potatoes, and found that they had just finished. Glad for the break, she dished out four servings. Behind her, the boys were all talking.

"Eh? Crow demons?" Toku asked, looking at his eldest brother. Inutaisho poured water into his glass, nodding.

"I found the two that had been nesting in the trees of our complex. They were both male, and obviously not there to build a home, or else I might have just kicked them out."

"Mm...you know better than that, Inutaisho," Sesshoumaru said, his low voice shushing his three sons. "Anything found in the complex uninvited is killed." Inutaisho's jaw clenched a bit, but he was silent, his ears flattening.

"But father, what do you think this means?" Genbu asked, pulling the water pitcher over to his end of the table. Toku gestured towards his cup, silently asking Genbu to pour him some water as well, which got Genbu's eyes down to slits.

"Spies," was all Sesshoumaru said. It made Rin pause for a bit and all four of the boys noticed. They knew about what had happened to her when she was pregnant with Inutaisho-the woman Sesshoumaru had referred to as Sayo attempted to murder her while he was away. Ever since, Rin had felt unsafe inside the complex. Nothing at all had happened since then, but they knew it was there in the back of her mind.

"What do you plan to do?" Toku asked. Sesshoumaru looked to Toku, imperceptibly smiling.

"Nothing." The three boys' mouths were suddenly open, confounded by their father's response.

"Nothing?" Genbu asked, leaning forward a bit over the table. Sesshoumaru folded his arms in his sleeves, looking at Rin's back.

"Inutaisho will be the one to do something about it. I have much more important things to deal with," he said in an implying tone. The boys looked at Rin, but only Inutaisho knew what Sesshoumaru meant.

Rin, having filled all four bowls to the brim, brought one over, setting it in front of Inutaisho first. She patted his head, startling Inutaisho since she hadn't done that since he was perhaps ten years old. Padding back over to the counter, she picked up two more bowls and brought them over to Toku and Genbu, who looked at the niku-jaga with hungry eyes and fairly slobbering mouths. Rin patted their heads, noticing that their attention was fixed on the food. All three boys manly called out 'itadakimasu' and began to dig in, halting all conversation. Rin then brought over her own bowl, sitting down next to Sesshoumaru, and elegantly picked up her chopsticks.

"Uuahhhh, it's great, mom!" Genbu praised, mouth full. Rin gave him a halfway-angry glare for talking with his mouth open, and Genbu coughed out a 'sorry' from behind his hand. Smiling at him for the compliment, she began to eat, glad for the food since her stomach was very empty. Jaken finally padded in, looking a little cleaner, but not much. Rin was about to get up to fill him a bowl of stew, but he waved at her to sit down, grunting grumpily.

"What of the north?" Sesshoumaru asked once the boys had eaten at least a few bites. Toku swallowed and lowered his arms a bit, setting the bowl back on the table.

"Kurokuma was slain a few days ago. It took years to gain support, but once the opposing hawk clan became our allies, we finally took the castle last week. Our troops are routing out the last of Kurokuma's loyal subordinates," Toku explained, looking to Genbu, who also lowered his bowl. Rin paused with her chopsticks in her mouth to listen as they spoke.

"It...would not be proper to discuss the details of the fight with Kurokuma at the table," Genbu said, quickly glancing at his mother, "but once we got past the last of his guards, he was defeated easily, father." Rin searched her memory for the name of 'Kurokuma' and realized that they had just slain the northern lord. It had been rumored that Kurokuma's family's strength had drastically declined, meaning stronger parties could invade and conquer the northern lands, but no one had dared-rumors were only rumors. Sesshoumaru, thought to be the strongest of the four lords, had confidence in his sons to successfully overthrow Kurokuma. A thought popped into her head.

"Sesshoumaru-sama..." She waited until Sesshoumaru had nodded to let her speak and went on, "If Tai-chan marries Kiri-chan and inherits the eastern lands, then our family will control three-fourths of the entire country." Genbu and Toku both coughed hard, looking over at their brother, who was blushing furiously behind his bowl of niku-jaga.

"What?! What's this about, brother?" Genbu said, wiping the coughed-up stew from his chin. Toku was simply staring dumbfounded at Inutaisho.

"Tai-chan wants to marry Fukurou-sama's daughter," Rin supplied, smiling as she held her bowl. Feeling her knees get sore again, most definitely bruised, Rin rolled onto her hip, letting her legs jut out to the side.

"Mother! I haven't even seen Yokiri for a month," Inutaisho said. He put down his bowl and brushed off his sleeves self-consciously. Toku started eating again, even more interested in the conversation now.

"A month?! What kind of son did I raise?" Rin asked, setting down her half-empty bowl. She didn't notice Genbu eyeing it as he set down his empty bowl. Jaken was sitting off to the side, eating his stew. Inutaisho was bright red by now, embarrassed to be like this in front of his father and both of his younger brothers. Rin, realizing that she was mortifying him, picked up her bowl again, disappointing Genbu. He stood up to get another helping.

"Well, perhaps when you're near there again, you should attempt to be social, Tai-chan," Rin said, giving him a pointed stare. Sensing that the conversation was turning again, Toku looked to his mother, having polished off his helping. He asked her about where she had been before now, and from there the conversation lasted another hour or so, with each of the boys getting a second helping, leaving enough for Jaken to have a bit more if he wanted, but he had already fallen asleep from exhaustion near the door. Sesshoumaru sat there the whole time, paying quiet attention to the conversation. It was obvious to him that the boys were glad to have their mother back. They listened avidly to everything she had to say, asking a dozen questions, which Rin made sure to return by asking them about what they had done for the missing years.

_She won't have to miss any more..._

Glancing askance at the light outside, Sesshoumaru saw that the sun had set long ago and said Jaken's name. Rin and her boys stopped their conversation. Jaken's eyes shot open, and he jumped to his feet, a little disoriented.

"Y-yes, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

"Leave on Ah-Un and visit Karran in the south. Tell her that her mother and I will be in her uncle's village, waiting for her, and that it concerns the Shikon no Tama." Jaken, looking bleary-eyed but halfway awake, spit out an acknowledgement before running off to do as his master bid. Rin pouted.

"Aww, Sesshoumaru-sama. You could have at least let him sleep a little longer," Rin said, feeling sorry for Jaken. She stood up, picking up all the bowls and stacking them together. Sesshoumaru looked to the door, expressionless, and didn't respond. She placed the dishes in the wooden bucket near the door, covered up the last of the stew, and set it off to the side. Pouring some water onto the smoldering fire beneath, she waved away the smoke that rose up, listening to Toku and Genbu pestering Inutaisho about Yokiri. After the smoke mostly cleared, she yawned into her hand, hiding her tiredness from her sons. She wanted to stay up all night talking to them, but she once again felt exhausted. _It's too much at once._

"Damn it! Leave me alone, you jerks!" Inutaisho shouted, startling Rin out of her half-sleepy state. He abruptly stood up, ready to jump over at them, which got Genbu and Toku guffawing. She turned, ready to scold them, but Sesshoumaru stood up as well.

"Your mother is tired. I'm taking her to bed," he declared, walking over to Rin. She opened her mouth to protest since she literally had not seen her sons for sixteen years and wished to talk to them more, but the hard look Sesshoumaru displayed indicated that no amount of complaining was going to get her anywhere. Toku and Genbu only laughed harder, continuing the inside joke. Within the blink of an eye, they were firmly whapped on the head, and Sesshoumaru walked towards Rin, who was still on her shins next to the dead fire. Toku and Genbu rubbed their heads, pouting at their father. Sesshoumaru pulled Rin to her feet, galvanizing Toku and Genbu to get up as well.

"Good night, mother," Toku and Genbu said in unison, each giving her a hug in turn. Rin was sure that the boys would stay up late talking, but since they lacked much of a need for sleep, they could survive much better than she. Inutaisho came over for a goodnight hug as well, thanking her for the meal. Sesshoumaru then placed his hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her out the door.

"But shouldn't I finish the dishes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin said, fighting his prodding a little as they walked down the hall.

"One of the boys will do it. I know you want to keep talking to them, but we have a long trial ahead of us. You need sleep." Sesshoumaru pushed a little harder, getting Rin around the corner of the hall, halfway to their bedroom. Finally she relented, letting him guide her.

Arriving at the bedroom door, she took off her indoor slippers and slid open the door. A calm, fresh breeze was swirling about the room from the open window, making the room only slightly cold. Pale moonlight was riding on the breeze, barely lighting up anything except the edges of furniture and a pile of rumpled, shredded kimono material near the back of the room. Rin felt Sesshoumaru's presence behind her and stepped forward out of his way. She heard him shut the door behind them and very faintly heard a loud laugh from the kitchen. _The boys are going to tease Inutaisho until he gives one or both a bloody lip._

Meandering over to the window, she gazed outside. The trees were very close to the house, so she had come to know their exact shape and color over the years. She wasn't surprised to see that they looked almost the same as she remembered. Sesshoumaru was disrobing behind her, but she leaned forward, bracing her hands on the sides of the window frame. She heard a breeze push its way through the trees, making the leaves rub together. The breeze arrived at the window, flowing past her and lifting her unbound hair. The cold air stung her eyes, making them water. _Today was a good day._ Shivering a bit, Rin distinctly felt her breasts react to the cold breeze and remembered the brief, tender kiss she had received just before dinner. Despite the cold, her cheeks reddened. The water in her eyes pooled at the corners, squeezing out when she blinked her eyes.

The night was quiet and peaceful. Rin wished they didn't have to leave.

Sesshoumaru silently wrapped his arms around her ribs and pressed a kiss to her temple, pulling her back against his chest. Rin dropped her hands from the window frame, setting them on his bare forearms.

"Are you upset, love?" he asked, bringing up a hand to brush at the moisture on her cheeks.

"No, it's just the coldness, master," she said, leaning back into him. She realized that her shoulders felt stiff and tried to force herself to relax them.

"We'll come home as soon as this is over. You won't have to leave again, not if you don't want to."

"I know, Sesshoumaru-sama, but I think that as long as you're with me, I'll be happy. Just keep holding me," she sighed.

"All night, love." They stood there at the window for a more few minutes, watching the branches sway ever so subtly and feeling the cool breezes waft in. Rin felt her eyelids sagging, and leaned her head back against Sesshoumaru's chest. "Mm, Rin, you should sleep," Sesshoumaru whispered, pulling on the ties to her_obi_. Her kimono began to sag away from her body, sliding down her chest and revealing more skin. Sesshoumaru had a good view, and slowly undressed her as she leaned back against him. He saw her skin get goose bumps, and wanted to smooth his palm over her chest to warm it. Dropping the _obi_ to the floor, Sesshoumaru reached forward to slide the window shutters closed, hoping to cut off the flow of air that was making her shiver.

Rin dropped her arms, reached back to touch him, and found that his hips were naked, meaning the rest of him was naked. Her eyes popped open and jaw dropped down. Stretching her arms further back, Rin cupped his backside, making him jump when her colder hands touched his warm skin. She pulled him into her body, not caring that her kimono and under-robe were now wide open. Something was quickly growing and poking against her rear end. Sesshoumaru's breathing was much faster and deeper, and his hot breath warmed her neck as he nuzzled and lick the skin on her shoulder.

Rin felt like her heart was beating in her throat, meaning sleep was now the furthest thing from her mind. Feeling her face heat up, she pushed away from his chest and turned around, finding his waist. Her hands were still cold, but he didn't react this time. She then pushed him towards the opposite wall until his back touched it, surprised that he moved so willingly. Walking to the cabinet in the back, she searched for one of her hair ribbons by touch. The longest one was also her softest, a ribbon she had worn even in her previous life. Holding it again, feeling the cloth fold and roll in her palms, was a nostalgic experience. Now that her eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the room, which held a scent of the outdoors and a bit of its chill, Rin slowly padded back towards Sesshoumaru's faint outline, which hadn't moved. She stepped close enough to brush her midsection against the incredibly hot member protruding from her mate's pelvis, and reached for his elbows. She found them a little awkwardly, but then she slid her fingers down to his wrists, wrapping her hands around the strong tendons.

Pushing his wrists together behind his back, Rin leaned forward with her arms, pressing her body against his manhood and resting her lips on his chest.

"I know-as well as you-that this ribbon would never be able to restrain you, Sesshoumaru," she said, dropping the honorific suffix she normally used. "But...but can you pretend tonight that it does?" Securing a firm knot to bind his wrists, she almost reverently smoothed her hands over his sides, thoroughly examining the texture of his smooth, toned skin. Her only answer was a shaky sigh from her mate, who let his head loll forward until his chin touched his chest. Rin, free to do what she wanted, felt exultant and powerful, having the country's most-feared demon lord under her control, if only for a single night. She satisfied her curiosity and touched every inch of skin she could find: the bumps of his muscled abdomen, his sinewy arms and thighs, his broad, strong shoulders, his manly rear end, and even the soft skin below his chin. The whole time, she listened to his heavy breaths, and the tiny choking noises he made when she touched something sensitive-attempting to noiselessly live through the pleasure she brought him.

"Sit down," she ordered, pulling down on his shoulders. With slightly less grace than she had expected, Rin heard him obey her command, sitting down and leaning against the inner wall. Though he sat cross-legged, Rin quickly remedied that, placing his feet on the floor and then pushing his knees apart. Neither removing nor closing her gaping inner-robe, she walked forward on her hands, ignoring the pain in her knees. Planting her hands on either side of his hips, she was braced dominantly between his open legs. She listened intently for a few seconds, and was glad to hear that he was taking in quick, deep breaths. Nuzzling his chest, Rin pressed a small, light kiss to his right male nipple, and felt his entire body stiffen. She felt her own body heat up and moisten in reaction to their erotic situation. The dampness between her thighs was pleasantly distracting, but Rin tried to think of all the things she wanted to do to him, hoping she could at least perform a couple tonight, saving the rest for another day.

Sesshoumaru's heart was about to choke him. He was spending most of his energy suppressing the intense desire to rip his hands apart, pin Rin to the floor, and have her as roughly as he wanted, but he forced himself to relax his muscles, to enjoy her scent and the attention she was paying to him. He wished he could at least touch her, though. He hadn't had nearly enough time to explore and remind himself of the different textures on her body.

Rin let her under-robe slip down her shoulders, but it still hung from her elbows. The cooler air in the room settled upon her now-exposed shoulders and chest, causing a full body shiver and a pert reaction. To warm herself, she pressed her chest against Sesshoumaru, who radiated heat no matter what the outside temperature was. Sesshoumaru attempted to push back in order to feel like he was somehow participating rather than being submissive, but he lacked the leverage to do much besides move his head and possibly his legs. The awkwardness he felt, though, was completely gone once Rin opened her lips over his mouth, pushing her tongue inside. He was able to kiss her back at least. Rin was obviously dominant, however, confidently thrusting her tongue. Sesshoumaru's fingers clenched into fists, and he jerked a little when her left hand landed on his pelvis, very close to his most sensitive limb.

Rin's heart pounded, and she felt alive, powerful, bur still feminine. Sesshoumaru was gasping for breath every time she let up from his lips for the briefest of seconds. While plundering his steamy mouth, she could hear air hiss in and out through his nose-he was excited, and it only made Rin more aroused to know it. She was vaguely aware that the wind outside was picking up a little more, blowing against the house hard enough to make the house groan ever so softly. Sesshoumaru could smell so many things. Since his eyes were closed, his other senses were stronger, and he could tell that a storm was a few hours away-that the boys were still moving around near the kitchen-that Rin was aroused... Realizing something important, Sesshoumaru's arms flexed to grab Rin, but the slight confinement of her ribbon was the only thing that kept him from not caring and rending the cloth anyway.

Making a choking noise, Sesshoumaru's stomach muscles clenched tightly as Rin wrapped her hand around his manhood, having warmed her palm against his hip. His arms flexed again, but he restrained himself, growling lightly into her mouth. She began pumping her hand, pulling tightly but slowly. Her tongue matched the rhythm, dipping into his mouth in unison with the movements of her hand. She could feel that his body was tense. He kept making small, low noises as if he were unable to keep the sensations silent, and his muscles were strained. Rin increased the pace, using her contact against his chest to sense how close he was to his peak. She deepened the kiss, trying to overwhelm him. Shifting closer on her knees until the tops of her thighs touched the backs of his and until she was practically sprawled over his chest, Rin tightened her hand and pumped her hand faster. Though the movement was small, she could feel him attempting to buck into her hand, and his breathing was getting ragged. _He's close..._ Rin brought her face away only a centimeter or two, licking Sesshoumaru's lips and purposefully moaning erotically to arouse him even more.

"Uhh...so warm and big, Sesshoumaru...do you like it?" she asked, not needing to act seductive-the correct tone of voice came naturally now. Sesshoumaru almost choked on his groans. Lowering her voice to a tiny whisper, she continued, "Can you smell me, master? How wet am I for you?" Her pelvis was already flush against his manhood. She simply pressed forward a few times, suggestively timed with her hand as it pumped. Sesshoumaru cried out, trying even harder to buck into her hand despite his disadvantage. _So close..._ Pulling away, she let go of the rampant arousal in her hand, and sat back until she no longer touched him at all, but only barely.

"_No_...Rin, don't stop," Sesshoumaru roughly and loudly growled, sounding half-demonic and wondering why she backed off when he was about to climax. He was panting now, squirming slightly against the bonds around his wrists. "You know that you'll pay for this," he threatened, feeling extremely frustrated. Rin grinned in the darkness of the room, struck funny by his response.

"But Sesshoumaru...I'll soon make you feel so good," Rin acquiesced, setting her hands on his knees. "And I hope that I pay _dearly_." Smoothing her hands down his corded thighs, she felt him tighten up again. Rather than touching him, though, she rose to her feet and dropped the under-robe from her arms, letting is fall heavily to the floor. She stepped over his thighs and gingerly lowered herself, careful of her knees. Her mate's arousal prodded her as she hovered over it, setting her hands on Sesshoumaru's shoulders.

"Rin..._hurry_," Sesshoumaru said, leaning forward to press an open-mouthed kiss to her chest. He dragged his lips over her right breast, seeking out the crest, but Rin's hands pushed him back, pressing his shoulders to the wall. Gritting his teeth, Sesshoumaru promised himself that he would have his revenge-and that she would love every minute of it.

Rin knew that she would only feel more sore and raw in the morning-that part of the sensation even now would be painful, but she didn't care. By the way Sesshoumaru acted about their quest for his half-brother and the Shikon no Tama, she knew that it was extremely dangerous despite her mate's best intentions to hide his anxieties. Before they left, before they went straight at the danger, she wanted to make love in their bedroom. She wanted it to be as scalding wet as the hot springs where Sesshoumaru first mated with her so many years ago.

Sesshoumaru was too far gone to be pondering such emotional thoughts. He needed Rin to push him inside that tight body of hers before the tension killed him. However, Rin would only pet his shoulders and land little kisses on his forehead, still suspended above the engorged length behind her.

She wanted him to calm down a bit, to fall away from that peak far enough to increase the climax once he reached it again. He was still panting like a dog, though, so Rin slowed down the pace to almost a halt.

"Rin," Sesshoumaru gasped, turning his head up to look at the dark outline of her face.

"Only for a minute, Sesshoumaru...but...when I start again, don't hesitate to make any noise, love. I want to hear how much you like it...groan, yell, I don't care, but don't keep it inside," she whispered against his lips, kissing him at every pause. Sesshoumaru's arm flexed again, but not as strongly this time. The pounding in his head was receding somewhat, taking away a little of the pressure. An odd, restless feeling was clawing around inside his stomach. Sesshoumaru didn't like it, but he knew it would go away once Rin began to distract him.

Rin placed her right hand back on his shoulder, and set her left one on her own hip. Sesshoumaru's demon eyes followed that hand as it slid down her thigh and then moved to the inside, rubbing back up to the warm, moist place between her thighs. Feeling his own arousal react to seeing her touch herself, Sesshoumaru sighed as he watched Rin's hand spread herself open. She dropped her right hand to find Sesshoumaru and held him in place while she lowered herself over him. Grimacing as her skin grated from the invasion, she set both hands back on his shoulders, sinking slowly as her body adjusted to the size of her mate. Sesshoumaru, once Rin had completely seated herself, softly groaned. His heart was speeding up again, and Sesshoumaru wondered if he actually had the stamina for this.

It burned, but Rin ignored the pain, certain that it wasn't enough to keep her from orgasm. Instead she concentrated on her mate, sliding up as she clenched her inner muscles, and then thrusting him back inside. She moved slowly, wanting to build it up as much as she could. Sesshoumaru growled several times and Rin felt his shoulders moving beneath her hands as if he wanted to move.

"Faster...Rin," Sesshoumaru groaned, much louder this time. He was trying to buck up into her, but he lacked any leverage. Rin could hear the telltale liquid sounds as she made love to him, and the slide of skin over skin as her thighs brushed his hips. She quickened her pace, feeling her chest bounce a little, and the wet sounds of their bodies meeting increased in tempo as well. The pleasure was starting for Rin, overriding the raw feeling. She felt her face warm up and her body start to glisten. Bouncing over Sesshoumaru at a moderate pace, Rin gripped his shoulders harder, letting her mouth fall open to breathe. Her thighs began to feel a little sore since her muscles weren't used to doing this type of act, but the heat of muscle pain only added to the sensations. Sesshoumaru's eyes clamped shut, and his face turned to the ceiling as Rin made love to him. He had never been harder.

"S-Sesshoumaru...uuhhh, you feel so good," she sighed, finding a better grip on his shoulders and rolling her hips just a tad as she sank for the next few thrusts. Sesshoumaru grunted through his teeth, barely able to stop himself now from breaking free of his restraints. The soft sounds that her womanhood made as it squeezed over him seemed to be the only sounds he could hear, as if his brain were shutting down and focusing on where he connected with her.

"Rin," he growled. The blood pumping through his veins was unholy and he knew that if Rin could see, she would find that his eyes had turned red. Rin wanted to make it last longer, though, and slowed down a bit, which earned her a very frustrated growl from her mate.

"It feels so tight, master. I love how deep you go...uhhh," she sighed, letting her left hand explore his chest. Sesshoumaru's heart was palpitating as if he had been sprinting flat out for hours, making his blood flow fast through his body and flooding his brain with oxygen.

"Rin, I'm going to _explode_ inside of you," he gasped out in a deep voice.

"Not yet...longer. I want to mate with you a little longer," she sighed, pausing for a brief couple of seconds to roll her hips. She began to buck against him again, pressing him far inside. "Mmm, Sesshoumaru. I know you like it. You love rubbing inside me, master." Sesshoumaru grimaced, his loins throbbing in the best of ways. "I love it, too. I love the friction. The heat. Ohhh, master, it's so warm and it feels so good..."

"_Now...please Rin._" Sesshoumaru gasped. Her face contorted with strain. She was close, but she still wanted to stretch it out. She slowed down even more, moaning sexily every time she sunk down, squeezing him tightly.

"You fit me so well, Sesshoumaru. It stretches me and fills me," she sighed, sinking down again to prove her point. "And it reaches so deep. It's so tight and wet, master." Rin then icked up the pace again, sighing as the friction rubbed against the swollen pearl above her entrance. "Mmm...faster..._harder_. So good, Sesshoumaru... Uhhh! Uhhh! You feel so good!"

Rin shakily cried out, bucking down against him as fast as she could, which made a thudding noise with each thrust. The liquid seeping from her was thoroughly coating her mate's hard length, making loud, sucking noises that only made her heart beat faster. Her skin, as well as Sesshoumaru's, was covered with a fine sheen of perspiration, and the room was no longer cold in the slightest. Her breasts bounced heavily in front of Sesshoumaru, but he no longer had the mental capacity nor the physical capability to react. Rin could feel it start in her head, the swimming sensation that almost felt like a headache coming on. Unable to stop the halfway-desperate noise that squeaked out, Rin clenched her inner muscles, keeping them tight as she and Sesshoumaru plunged headfirst into orgasm.

"Rin! Uuhhhh!" Sesshoumaru groaned, his back stiffening as he almost painfully spilled himself inside her body. He gasped for air, wincing every time he throbbed out more seed. She dug her nails into his skin, throwing her head back and shoving him as far inside her body as she could. Her voice had left her so all that came out was a short, high sob. Something hit her body, like a hand that reached inside and violently squeezed her most sensitive muscles, milking the climax out of her, which dripped down her mate's still pulsing arousal. For Sesshoumaru, it really was an explosion. He couldn't remember coming for that long before. The things she had said...

He felt Rin pull him forward after about a minute. He was still throbbing a little, emptying inside her even now. Rin gathered his hair and pulled it to the side, letting him lean on her chest as she supported his upper body.

He wasn't prepared when she pulled all ten of her fingers down the spine of his back.

He yelled out, every muscle and tendon standing at attention as a powerful orgasm ripped through his loins. The heat was intense, and he once again burst into her tight muscles, flooding her with his demonic seed. Rin gasped, finding pleasure in the amount that filled her body, almost burning. Sesshoumaru was aware of his vision blacking out and his thigh muscles flexing as he instinctively attempted to pump into Rin while climaxing a second time. He was unaware of anything but the searing, mind-blowing pleasure throbbing in his pelvis-unaware that Rin held him to her chest with an arm around his shoulders; unaware that she tugged at the end of the ribbon, releasing his wrists.

Smiling to herself, Rin kissed his temple, listening to his agonized moans. _I love you, Sesshoumaru..._


	13. Chapter 13

_-A Few Minutes Later-_

Sesshoumaru somehow heaved himself onto the futon, collapsing onto his stomach after two strength-draining orgasms. Rin much more elegantly lied on her side next to him, pulling a heavy quilt over the two of them despite Sesshoumaru's mumbled complaint that it was too hot. He was very confused, lying there and feeling dead-tired. He had not felt that weak since he was a very, very young child. Trying to remember what happened back then, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, sighing as Rin cuddled up next to him and tossed an arm over his back.

Rin felt some lingering pain, but she also felt satisfied. Promising herself to actually wait a day or two before letting him take her again, Rin snuggled close to her mate, aware that there was a sticky wetness between her legs. _I hope I have time to bathe in the morning._ Letting the events of the past fifteen minutes roll around in her mind, she smiled to herself as the night settled around them. She was glad for the quilt and for Sesshoumaru's body heat because the cold was already pressing in again. The tip of her nose began to feel a little chilled, so Rin flipped the quilt over her head, trying not to get it on Sesshoumaru since he didn't actually need a blanket at all, but preferred to share hers anyway.

A couple of minutes passed, and Rin felt her heart slow down to its normal beat, closing in on much-needed rest. _I got to see all three of my sons today... I had missed them so much, and did not even know it until Sesshoumaru retrieved me. How long ago was it? Three days? Feels like so much has happened._ She felt Sesshoumaru shift, turning on his side towards her and pulling her closer. Rin let him slide his arm beneath her head, and felt his hand wrap around to fit to the curve of her shoulder. His other arm draped quite naturally over her side, and she pressed the tip of her nose to the base of his throat, feeling a swell of contentment flood her chest.

Sesshoumaru, finally remembering, realized that it would probably do him well to have a good night's worth of sleep. His father had told him once that though demons do not require nightly sleep, the fact that they can fall asleep proves that they sometimes must. He admitted to Sesshoumaru that he would "take a nap" every dozen years or so. By Sesshoumaru's clock, he himself had not slept for about eighty years. Vaguely recalling the handful of times he had slept, Sesshoumaru remembered that he had felt refreshed upon waking. Deciding upon it, he pulled Rin closer to ensure that she stayed warm throughout the night and ducked his head under the quilt, nuzzling the top of Rin's fragrant head. Concentrating to sense her mood, he was surprised to find that she was feeling a bit of pain, and yet was close to falling asleep.

Determined to ask her about it in the morning, Sesshoumaru relaxed all of his muscles, one by one, letting invisible lead weights pull his limbs down to the futon. He could feel a thick, almost frothy substance entering his veins, slowing down his functions to half of their normal capacity, making everything hazy and uncertain. He felt no fear, though, knowing that his sons would be up all night, discussing one thing or another. His breaths became deeper and longer, taking in the scent from Rin's hair, and his heart slowed, beating languidly against the walls of his chest. Though a few meandering thoughts wandered about inside his head, eventually all that came through was a light, melancholy melody, hummed by his beloved when she thought his attention was diverted elsewhere. After the last refrain of her song ended, Sesshoumaru only saw and felt blackness, thankfully asleep.

_-In the Kitchen-_

All three boys were silent for a moment, listening to the sounds of the house. Genbu twisted his mouth in thought, and then nodded.

"It seems that they finally went to bed," he concluded, looking to his brothers for confirmation. Inutaisho and Toku nodded, agreeing. Though it had been faint, they had heard the sounds one only hears during mating coming from the direction of their parents' room. Genbu was the first to hear it, being closest to the kitchen door. They had a good laugh for about ten minutes, wondering if their mother was trying to kill their father, and pestering Inutaisho about how "he was going to have to suffer through the wiles of the female species" soon enough. Inutaisho's cheeks colored themselves red, but it only angered him that his brothers would imply anything insulting to Yokiri. After horsing around with Genbu while Toku watched, Inutaisho managed to land a good punch in Genbu's stomach, hushing him for at least a few minutes.

Toku continued laughing, though, in his light-hearted way. Inutaisho always had a harder time picking on Toku, who seemed a little gentler, but who was just as deadly. Genbu at least made it obvious when he was nagging his eldest brother.

"And just what are you laughing at?" Inutaisho growled, fisting his clawed hand. Toku, with his soft voice, smiled genially and held up his hands, half-chuckling and half-giggling.

"Nothing! I'm only laughing at the situation," Toku entreated. Inutaisho was in the mood for a fight, though, and launched himself at Toku anyway. Genbu, behind them, was laughing and groaning at the same time, holding his abused midsection. When it seemed that Inutaisho might be winning against Toku, who was laughing too hard to defend himself properly, Genbu had recovered enough to pounce on Inutaisho from behind, yelling to Toku that it was time to gang up on him.

This went on for a while...the three boys were young and tireless, though it was mostly an attempt to subdue Inutaisho since he seemed angered by something other than their teasing. Once they had tired themselves out, sprawled out on the floor and panting, Inutaisho stared at the ceiling, wondering what Yokiri was doing right now. _Heh...probably cursing my name for ignoring her for a month._

In truth, he had meant to seek her out several times over the past four weeks, but always turned back at some point. He once even got within a half-mile of where they usually met, but instead cursed to himself and turned to follow the border like he was supposed to, avoiding Yokiri yet again.

"Hey, bro," Toku said, sounding a little breathless but still serious. Inutaisho turned his head to look at Toku, laying a little diagonal to him. Genbu remained quiet.

"What?"

"This Yokiri...do you love her?" Inutaisho made an agreeing noise, wondering what Toku was getting at. "Then...I will gladly welcome her to the family." Inutaisho heard Genbu grunt his own agreement from somewhere behind him, and smiled to himself.

_-Early Morning, the Next Day-_

Rin's first inkling of consciousness was fuzzy and muffled, as if something were closely pressed to her eyes. Realizing that she was still sleepy, she let her cracked lids shut again and slept a bit longer, feeling warm and heavy. Though only an hour passed in real time, Rin felt like three had passed when she next sifted out of the sands of sleep. She took in a deeper breath, cautiously opening her eyes. About three inches in front of her was the pale skin of her mate's throat, mostly shadowed by the quilt over her head. She was tempted to nuzzle the Adam's apple she saw, but gingerly lifted her hand to find the edge of the quilt. Surprised that Sesshoumaru didn't move, Rin eased the quilt down over their heads, lighting up the scene with rays of the dawning sun.

His eyes were closed, and his breathing was slow and even, like he was asleep. Rin touched the tip of his nose, expecting him to say something trite but funny. Getting no response, Rin's nose quirked in confusion._That's strange...is he playing a game?_ Easing onto her elbow, Rin looked down at him, certain that he still hadn't moved. His arm didn't follow her waist, either; rather, it slipped down her body to the jut of her hip. Now that the quilt had slipped down her shoulder to the crook in her arm, Rin felt the chill of the room slide its fingers over her skin like an unwanted lover, and shivered.

Rin tried another tactic and brushed the tip of her finger against his lips, expecting him to smirk and begin kissing the naked chest right in front of him. He seemed to breathe a little deeper for a second, but his lips remained slightly parted and immobile. _Asleep? No... No, it couldn't be._ She lightly brushed her finger against his mouth again, moving more slowly to see if it would tickle. Deciding that a whisper might do it-that perhaps the goal of his game was for her to start complaining, she very quietly called his name. Again, no reaction. Confounded, she pondered the possibilities for a few seconds, wondering what it was she was supposed to do to make him react. He certainly wasn't asleep...Rin had to commend his "dead possum" act-it looked genuine.

_Wait..._

That's when Rin realized how blank his face was. True, he normally seemed to have no expressions, but his was a constant serious expression, never smiling. But this one-it held no annoyance, no anger, no lust, no smiles, no frustration...it was his sleeping face. _He's not really...is he...how-how adorable!_ Rin's heart ached for a few moments as she watched the gentle breaths going in and coming out of his chest. His glossy, silver hair was especially beautiful, glimmering like icy water in the early morning sun. Rin traced the stripes on his upward-facing cheek, swallowing hard over the lump in her throat. _It feels like my heart will burst._ Licking her lips, she carefully scoot back down to her original position and pulled the quilt over her shoulder. Snaking her hand around his shoulders, she snuggled close to him, touching the tip of her nose to his. Smiling, she adjusted the angle of her mouth slightly and pressed her lips against the ones parted so invitingly. Gently suckling his bottom lip and once in a while flicking it with her tongue, she hoped to wake him up slowly.

Sesshoumaru, groggy, eventually had the sense that it was time for him to wake up. His thoughts began to move again, wondering what time it was. He felt a warm presence in front of him and automatically held it closer.

Rin felt Sesshoumaru breathe a little more deeply, and his arm began to move against her back, pulling her towards him. She was aware of her heart beating faster, of feeling aroused by his response to her kiss. Parting his hair with her fingers, she absent-mindedly played with a few silken locks before holding the left side of his jaw to help open it. Taking a second to draw in some breath through her mouth, she pressed her thumb against the bone of his jaw, pushing it down, and brought her mouth close again, letting her tongue slip between his lips first. She softly sighed, barely noticing the cool air settling against her neck. It was warm and damp beneath the quilt, so she paid no attention to the draft. Lightly moaning against his mouth, she felt him start to respond, and his tongue moved to play with hers.

Sesshoumaru was aware that his body was automatically reacting, and that a wet, warm mouth was pressed to his, giving him a sweet morning kiss. His left arm, pinned underneath something, involuntarily folded upon itself, grazing the bottom of a soft surface and wrapping around a warm shoulder.

Rin increased the pressure of her mouth when she felt his other arm against her back, and moaned a little louder, though it was unintentional. _Even half-asleep, he still kisses me as if he were fully awake._ Though she only wished to kiss him longer, she tested him by pulling her head away from his lips, wanting to see his reaction. A small, disappointed moan crossed the short distance between them, and she felt both of his arms tighten, holding her against him. The hand on her shoulder moved, cupping the back of her head and pushing her mouth forward again.

Sesshoumaru, finally aware that he was waking up again, took control of his body, but he didn't dare open his eyes, knowing that they had to leave that day. Instead, he let the last vestiges of sleep continue to hover over him. Finding the back of her head through the sea of her tangled, silky hair, he pulled her head to him and pressed his lips against the warm, full lips of his mate. Rin was pliant enough, but Sesshoumaru forced her lips apart before she had the chance to open them herself. If her metaphor held true that their mouths made love, then Sesshoumaru was almost raping her. Rin groaned in sexual excitement, out of breath but warm with arousal. She could hear her heartbeat in her head.

Rin moved to lift her leg over her lover, but the pain that followed was enough to remind her that her body needed a break to heal. The pain wasn't sharp and unbearable, but it was painful enough to douse her plans. She tried pulling her head back, but Sesshoumaru would have none of that. He felt much better now that he had slept, and was _very_ willing to simply toss her leg over his hip and rock them into oblivion again...and again. Rin seemed to be resisting a bit, so Sesshoumaru sent out little feelers again, browsing through her conscious for what was the matter. His connection reminded him that she was feeling pain, and Sesshoumaru, disappointed, relented his hold on her, letting her pull back from him. She opened her eyes and took a few breaths. Smiling at him and surprising Sesshoumaru somewhat, she breathlessly whispered,

"Good morning, Sesshoumaru." He smiled back at her, finding it alluring that she had dropped the "-sama" since they were sharing a private moment. It was one of her charms when she saved the less formal way of referring to him for when they were alone together. And yet, she showed him respect by speaking to him more formally when they weren't in the bedroom. Sesshoumaru rubbed his hand slowly against her back, looking at her young face resting against his arm. Today was the day to leave-they would be heading into completely unknown territory, and Sesshoumaru wanted to save this image of her in his mind...just in case.

_I love her more than life itself...I only wish I could make her own life last forever._

"Are you feeling pain, Rin?" he asked, moving his right hand down to her upward-facing hip. She heard the quilt rustle as he moved his arm, and then a warm hand on her hip, very close to the source of her discomfort. She adjusted her head a bit, moving the point of pressure off of her ear.

"Yes. Sorry, but I think I need a couple of days to rest," she said, slowly losing her smile. Sesshoumaru lightly shook his head, leaning forward to touch his nose to hers, confusing her as well as surprising her since he rarely did such a silly thing, even if it was affectionate.

"No, don't be sorry. I have asked too much of you ever since I found you running from that despicable human. You've shown great resilience, love," he complimented. She smiled at him again. "What was that man's name?" She pouted, not wanting to talk about such a subject, but complied.

"His family name is Yamamoto and his first name is Kagatsu. He does have brothers, all of which are fine men, but he and his father...are despicable, as you said." She watched his eyes glance away from her face in thought and wondered what he was thinking.

"Despicable how?" he asked, looking to Rin again. She was a little embarrassed to say, since Kagatsu's most evil side was wicked in a sexual sense.

"Why do you wish to know?" she simply asked. Sesshoumaru could tell that she was uncomfortable talking about it, but he wanted the whole story-for it was always in his mind to hunt down this Yamamoto Kagatsu after Rin and he returned, and slice his head off for even considering touching his mate.

"Does it bother you that much to speak of him?" he said, pulling her a little closer. She noticed the tightening of his arms, and felt her heart skip a beat. Stuttering a bit since his unfaltering gaze was looking straight at her, she replied,

"H-he did not give me any good memories." Sesshoumaru frowned at that, wanting to know more about Yamamoto even more.

"I want to know what memories he _did_ give you, Rin," he insisted in a low voice. She unconsciously began to chew on her bottom lip and cast her gaze down to his chest. Sesshoumaru waited patiently, watching Rin abuse her lip and quietly think. After a minute, she suddenly began to speak, but it was a quiet voice, meant only for him.

"Until I was eleven or so, Kagatsu treated me just like any other servant. He was just shy of his fifteenth year at the time, so he did not yet know of...of what some masters' sons do with their female servants. The housekeeper told me that on the night of Kagatsu's fifteen birthday, she overheard the master speaking with Kagatsu, giving him his samurai name and some advice. The housekeeper had raised me like a daughter, so she...I think she wanted to make sure I wasn't in the dark about the changes that would happen. So...she told me that the master had advised his son, 'Now that he is a man, he should allow himself indulgence with the women servants,'" she said, mimicking a lower voice range. "She said that Kagatsu didn't understand at first. So, the master explained that Kagatsu should find the prettiest female servant and bed her."

"Bed her?" Sesshoumaru asked. He could tell what the term meant, but it was an odd way to phrase it. _A human way of phrasing it._ Rin nodded, explaining its definition.

"He meant mate with her, but not in the sense that it was a mate for life. More like...a concubine?" she said uncertainly, not sure if she had the word correct. She rarely talked about such aspects of sex. "Anyway, Kagatsu did as his father told him. I didn't know the girl very well because she worked in the north wing, cleaning. I stayed in the kitchen on the east wing, so I only knew that the girl's name was Ayoko. According to the housekeeper...Kagatsu merely propositioned her first. The girl thought he was jesting with her-he had never asked anyone that before, so she didn't believe him. Kagatsu got mad, saying that his servants shouldn't laugh at him or talk back. The housekeeper was retrieving linens at the time, and walked by as Kagatsu yelled this to Ayoko. The housekeeper wanted to help Ayoko, but...Kagatsu told her to leave them, and the housekeeper couldn't say 'no.'

"She found Ayoko later, crying in the west wing's servants' quarters. Kagatsu...dragged her into the nearest bedroom and forced her. He didn't hit her, but he said mean things the whole time, according to Ayoko. The housekeeper warned me not to let him get me alone, or to draw any attention to myself when he was near. She told me how to dress and how to do my hair to make me...well, more plain. I didn't mind really-I didn't want what happened to Ayoko happen to me.

"Kagatsu kept Ayoko for about six months. When she got pregnant, he made her get rid of the child, but he also got rid of her. The next girl was a friend of mine, though I only got to speak to her in the evenings when the servants were allowed to bathe down by the hot springs. She was a year older than Kagatsu, and let him do what he wanted instead of trying to fight him-I suppose she was choosing the lesser of two evils. Miomi lasted a whole year, the longest time. She told me that he had fallen in love with her, which I didn't believe, but the master did, and he sent Miomi away.

"Over the next two and a half years, he slept with eleven girls, forcing almost all of them, and he even went after a visiting relative's servant, who was only thirteen. She left unharmed thanks to the housekeeper, but I would see him looking at other visiting servants-one of which was eleven. The whole time, though, I steered clear of him, letting the housekeeper serve their meals while I merely cooked out of sight."

"You were almost fifteen then?" Sesshoumaru asked, waiting patiently through her story. _This Yamamoto Kagatsu..._ Sesshoumaru wanted to kill him even now.

"Yes, it was on my fifteenth birthday that he noticed me. The housekeeper was holding a little party for me in her quarters. A girl from the south wing and two of the field workers came. We got a little too loud, and Kagatsu happened to be walking by. Hearing so many female voices...well, a man like him got curious. He opened the housekeeper's door without calling out first, though I suppose that is his right. Since I was in the housekeeper's and my room, I hadn't taken any time to disguise myself to look plain. I...I could see the lust in his eyes. Unlike your gaze," Rin said, glancing up at Sesshoumaru quickly, "Kagatsu's eyes were...frightening. I think he became used to forcing women, and that it was what excited him.

"A couple of days later, I was in the kitchens by myself, preparing food for the next morning since we had just finished cleaning our mess from making the master's dinner. Kagatsu walked in, unannounced, and...sort of smiled at me. I bowed, like I was supposed to, with my nose to the tatami mats, and asked him if he needed something to eat. Thinking about it now, his retort was kind of funny, and I didn't understand the double meaning until later that year, but it was frightening enough at the time. He told me that what he wanted to eat was me. I kept my nose to the tatami mats, not knowing what I was supposed to do. I think I said that we had some pork slices left over, and he laughed at me.

"I think the housekeeper saw him come in because she arrived just then. Kagatsu knew very well that I was basically her daughter, and that the housekeeper, after working there for so many years, had enough sway to get him in trouble, especially if the master found out that other girls had been raped. So he left me alone. I didn't see him again for a few months because he left to train as a samurai under a sword-master who lived a considerable distance away. When he came back, he took up one of his old lovers for a while. I was about four months shy of my sixteenth birthday when he tried something again."

Sesshoumaru nodded, ready to hear the rest of her story. Rin only looked up at him every once in a while, keeping her eyes on his chest as her memories played in front of her eyes.

"It was very, very early on the morning of Yoichi-sama's sixteenth birthday-Yoichi-sama is a younger brother of Kagatsu-so I was one of the only servants awake. I was preparing breakfast, and the housekeeper was still sleeping. I should have woken her up to help make the food, but she had been sick recently, and I didn't want to tire her out. The same thing happened again-I was fixing something, I can't remember what, but the kitchen door suddenly slid open, and Kagatsu stepped in, giving me that odd smile. Again, I bowed and asked if he needed anything, nose to the mats, and the next thing I knew I had been pulled up and knocked back. I remember being surprised at how fast he moved, and landing so hard on my rear end that it was sore for a few days afterwards.

"He...he got..." Rin sighed here, clenching her free hand in the glossy strands of her husband's hair. Then continuing, she spoke slowly to keep her emotions under control. "He got his hands underneath my yukata...and...I tried to push him off, but he settled all of his weight on me and my arms couldn't lift that much. It took him a little while...because I was struggling, but...he managed to loosen my yukata so that he...he...so that he could push...my legs open. I would have tried screaming, but he had stuffed a small towel into my mouth almost from the start, and...I think he was trying to get my wrists into one hand for a while. I kept trying to squirm away, but I was starting to get tired. When he was able to hold my wrists together with one hand, he brought that hand above my head and pinned my hands to the floor.

"Since I couldn't...couldn't do as much and since he had a free hand, he...he...laid...laid down between...between my legs. And..." Rin started breaking up, and tears had gathered over her eyes. "And he started saying these awful things, and I started crying."

"What did he say, Rin?" Sesshoumaru said, interrupting her. Rin shook her head, shutting her eyes. She buried her face in his neck, holding him as tight as she could. Though her voice was muffled, Sesshoumaru heard her say,

"I can't..."

"What did he say, Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked again in a firmer tone, though he did hold her a little tighter. Rin pulled her face back only slightly, enough so that he could hear her better.

"He said that he had been waiting for this. That he had wanted to see me cry while...while holding me down. That I was a great...wh-whore. After that, he...I think he was trying to unfasten the front of his hakama, but that's when Yoichi-sama walked by-I think he was coming down to request something specific to eat. Yoichi-sama grabbed Kagatsu and pulled him off of me, yelling the whole time. For some reason, I was so relieved but I thought Yoichi-sama was mad at me, rather than at Kagatsu. They fought for a while, and I covered myself as best as I could. I looked up right when Yoichi-sama punched Kagatsu. It wasn't hard enough to knock him down, but Kagatsu had a black eye for a long time. Then he stalked off, cussing to himself.

"Yoichi-sama spent about half an hour with me, apologizing and trying to make sure I was all right. I wish there was some way I could repay him..." she sighed, sniffing and wiping the tears off her cheeks. Sesshoumaru pursed his lips in thought for a moment, pondering this section of her story.

"What happened after that?" he asked after a while, having waited for Rin to regain her breath.

"About three months later, he tried again while I was in a storehouse. He tried to push me down over some bags of flour while I was trying to reach for bags of rice, but he didn't get too far. The housekeeper heard me scream and ran inside. After that, he made me uncomfortable a few times, touching what he shouldn't or saying what he shouldn't, but it wasn't until the night you found me that he might have succeeded. There would be no one to help me out in the woods, and he had already proven himself fast and strong enough to accomplish it. I still wonder, though, if you hadn't already killed him. You landed on him pretty hard," she commented, looking up at Sesshoumaru. The angry look on his face startled Rin, and she made a choking noise.

"I promise you, Rin, that I will kill that human for what he has done," Sesshoumaru growled out, clamping her to him. Rin gasped, surprised by his anger. "He touched what was mine, put you through pain, and did it without remorse. Without a doubt, he shall die for it." Her mouth fell open in amazement. She always knew he was territorial, but... She technically didn't even know Sesshoumaru at the time of the incidents. A flash of memory hit her then, and she saw a clear picture of the anger on his face when he approached Sayo, who was being restrained by the tree demon. Rin wanted to tell him not to do it-that she didn't want Kagatsu's blood on her hands, but something didn't let her say it. Something in his eyes told her that Kagatsu's death was more to sooth Sesshoumaru's conscience versus her own.

_I should have retrieved her a year ago...the search for the Shikon no Tama wouldn't have been so desperate, Yamamoto wouldn't have been able to even bend his gaze in her direction, and I could have had another year with her..._ Sesshoumaru suddenly felt incompetent and vulnerable. He _hated_ feeling like that. The only way to help it was to make up for his mistakes. First, find the Shikon no Tama. Second, kill Yamamoto Kagatsu. Three, get Rin pregnant again. She loved her children, and he wanted to give her more. He couldn't lie to himself, though, and say that he didn't want more children as well. He felt such pride when watching his three strong, clear-headed sons and his talented, beautiful daughter. Last night, he had smelled that she was fertile, which had almost galvanized him to break the weak bond of Rin's favorite ribbon so that he could properly plant his seed in her womb, but this morning, her scent did not hold that of a newly conceived child, despite the amount he had spilled into her body.

He knew that Rin needed two days to recover, but he still had another day after that to complete his third task. Determined now, he took his mind away from such thoughts and brought them back to the present. Looking down at Rin, who watched him warily, Sesshoumaru silently sealed the deal with a short but tender kiss, pressed upon Rin's startled mouth. He felt Rin's fingers tighten over his shoulder, and brushed the tip of her ear with the pads of his left fingers. Though the kiss ended too soon for Rin, Sesshoumaru drew back his right arm and flipped the heavy quilt off of their bodies, earning him a gasp from Rin, who was more surprised from the cold air and his sudden movement than from the lack of protection to her privacy.

"You may take a bath if you wish-I doubt we'll have more than one chance to bathe again between here and my brother's home. I shall rouse the boys into preparing the food and horses. Bring one change of clothes only. We'll leave within the hour," Sesshoumaru commanded, easily rising to his feet. Rin reached for her under-robe next to the futon and drew it to her, feeling chilled already. _He could've let me put this on first._"Rin," he said, standing in front of her. Rin found it extremely difficult not to stare at his pelvis since he had not yet put on his own clothes, but she managed to keep her eyes on his face.

"What, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked, pulling the under-robe around her shoulders.

"Are these bruises from yesterday?" he queried, pointing at her knees. Rin looked down at her legs, and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. The bruises were large and purple, spread over both kneecaps._They didn't hit the floor_ that _hard!_ Rin finished tying her robe around her waist, at least protecting her modesty, and leaned forward to inspect her knees, which caused a little shock of pain from the more abused area between her legs. "I was too rough," Sesshoumaru commented, turning from her to cloth himself.

"No, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin said fervently, coming to her feet a little shakily. Her thighs ached for some reason. "That was the whole point! ...Ah-I...I mean, I...it sounds awful, but...it was nice having it rough...Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin was blushing like mad, staring down at her feet, and heard Sesshoumaru turn around, having put on his under-robe. He had also grabbed a pair of hakama, but Rin could tell just from look that they were much too small for him. He held them out to her, and Rin, looking down at his hand, hesitantly took them.

"It will be easier to ride a horse if you wear these today." Rin looked down at the hakama, and wondered if she had anything like a haori to wear with them. Deciding to find one of Karran's old haori, still packed away in another room, Rin looked back up at Sesshoumaru.

"You'd better get going, Rin. You've only got an hour," Sesshoumaru reminded her, smiling a little. Rin bobbed her head and scooped up her towels and soap from the table near the window. Making her way towards the back of the house, Rin saw Toku walking towards the kitchen and waved at him as she jogged. He hesitantly waved back, watching her disappear down another hallway.

As expected, the three boys had been up all night, discussing Kurokuma, and their mother and father's quest, which Inutaisho had been good enough to fill them in on. Toku and Genbu certainly weren't pleased that their father was putting their recently found mother into danger, but they knew that they couldn't say anything against it. Mostly, they were saddened that they wouldn't have more time with her before she left. They had obligations in the north, and so couldn't accompany her and their father, either. As it was, they only came home because they needed a few fresh supplies and because they wanted to brag to their eldest brother about their victory. Jaken caught up to them perhaps in the last hour of their journey home, screaming for them to slow down, but as was family tradition, they raced him home as a tease instead. So they arrived without knowing that their mother was waiting for them, after sixteen long years of planning and wars and death. It was...almost symbolic that she passed away when she did, and came back to them when she did.

Toku continued on his way, arriving at the kitchen to find Genbu contemplating the mixture he had made in the pot over the fire. Inutaisho was sitting at the table, chin in his palm as he thought and staring off into the distance. Genbu turned to Toku,

"Hey, where's the salt?" Toku looked to where the salt normally sat, but it was gone. Confused, he held up his nose to sniff for it, and Genbu did the same. Inutaisho still sat there, not hearing them. Toku eventually walked to the set of cupboards in the back and opened the left cupboard, pulling out the salt gourd that usually sat next to the stove. Seeing it in there, Toku realized that this was where their mother kept the salt when she and Jaken cooked the majority of meals. Looking to Genbu, who was watching him, Toku could see the realization in Genbu's eyes as well.

"It's not fair," Toku said, walking to Genbu. Genbu nodded in agreement, taking the gourd and adding the amount of salt he needed. Inutaisho blinked and seemed to come out of his reverie.

"What's not fair?" he asked, setting his arms on the table and leaning forward a bit. Toku sat down at the diagonal side, wearily setting his elbows on top. Genbu had his back to the table.

"Father, you, Genbu, Karran, and I never have to worry about death from age or disease. It's not fair that mother should," Toku commented. Genbu's shoulders tensed, but he said nothing. Inutaisho looked down at the table, feeling the stress in the room.

"Yeah..."

_-An Hour Later-_

The preparations to leave went by quickly. To save time and to ensure that Rin did not fall from her horse since she had not much practice with horse-riding in either life, Toku prepared only one, packing food and mother's clothes onto their best horse. Rin had decided to bring Karran's two pink haori, made for her by her mother. Wearing one with her white hakama, Rin felt a little odd, but...it was sort of liberating. Genbu made sure that mother ate a bowl of the food he had fixed, blushing when she praised how wonderful it tasted. Inutaisho spoke with his father in private for a bit, telling him of his plans for the next few weeks and of what Genbu and Toku would be undertaking once Sesshoumaru and Rin left. Rin's hair dried while she ate, sitting across from Genbu, who looked downtrodden this morning. She attempted to ask him what was wrong, but he kept insisting that nothing was wrong at all.

"Now, now...Bu-chan doesn't have to hide his troubles from me. If there's something wrong, then you wouldn't look so upset and tense," she commented, bringing a cup to her mouth as she sipped on her water. Genbu pouted, somewhat chastised but mostly embarrassed that she had called him 'Bu-chan.'

"I just wish you didn't have to leave so soon," Genbu said, half-lying. His real reason was that Rin might not survive the ceremony with the Shikon no Tama, but it was true that he wished that she didn't have to leave. Rin took his answer, knowing that something else was bothering him, but not pressing him since he was an adult now, and would keep his problems to himself if he wished. She set down her cup, taking a deep breath, and gathered her hair to one side. Starting to braid it, she looked up at Genbu, who was watching her with an odd expression on his face.

"What is it now, Bu-chan?" Rin asked, expertly moving her fingers.

"I remember you braiding your hair when I was young. We all thought your hair was nice, mother." Rin smiled prettily, silently accepting the comment. "I remember that you let us play with it when we were upset about something. Even Karran complained that it was nicer than hers."

"Bu-chan, I think all of you have a beauty all your own. Tai-chan has his uncle's good looks. You and To-chan take after your father," Rin said with a smile, not needing to add that Sesshoumaru was extremely handsome. "And Karran-chan has her father's beautiful facial structure. I like to think that she got her smile from me."

"But mother, Karran looks more like you than father. She got her good looks from you," Genbu said with a blush. Rin softly smiled again, nearing the end of her braid.

"You think I don't notice, but I know that you and To-chan worry about finding a mate. You don't realize, though, that time is on your side, Bu-chan. The right girl will come along, I'm sure. And she'll love everything about you." Rin looked down at the end of her braid then, clamping the end shut with her favorite clip. Genbu wondered how she did it... He knew in the back of his mind that he wondered if he would find a love as powerful as his father and mother's, but like Toku, he had sort of blocked the worries with other tasks.

"Thanks, mom," Genbu said, quietly. Rin flipped the braid back over her shoulder, flashing him another smile. _Yeah, Karran got her smile from you._

Picking up the scent of his eldest brother and father approaching the kitchen from within the house, Genbu composed himself. Rin continued sipping her water, only hearing their footsteps a couple of seconds before they opened the door. Inutaisho stepped in first, looking a bit too serious. Rin made a gesture to smile and earned a hesitant one from Inutaisho. Sesshoumaru stepped in behind his eldest son, wearing full armor and a section of his own father's pelt over his shoulder.

"It's time to leave," he said, not skipping a beat and walking towards Rin. She held out her hand and let him assist her to her feet. Genbu said he would take care of the dishes and followed his parents and older brother out the porch door. Toku approached the porch, leading the horse and holding his mother's shoes in his other hand. The horse was a fine black mare, as fast as any stallion but less temperamental.

"I'll open the door for you, father," Toku commented, referring to the overgrown secret panel in the complex wall. Sesshoumaru nodded, pulling on his shoes. Rin stepped into her sandals, holding onto Genbu for support. Then daintily hopping down to the ground, she came around to the horse's head and rubbed her muzzle, praying silently that their journey was swift and without interruption.

"I-is there anything else you need, mother?" Inutaisho asked, his hands fisted. Rin looked up, not expecting Inutaisho to look so pained. _Is it really that bad?_ She looked to Toku and Genbu as well, both of whom were tightly clenching their jaws. Smiling a little, Rin walked to Toku and took him in a big hug, holding tightly. He was a little unsure at first, but then returned her embrace, folding the sleeves of his white haori around her.

"Be good for me, okay?" Rin said, speaking up to Toku's ear. He took a deep breath, and she felt him nod. Patting his back, she pulled away, giving him a reassuring smile before turning to Genbu. She held open her arms and was immediately met with a fierce hug. Rubbing a circle over his shoulder blade, Rin couldn't help but get a little teary-eyed, wondering what awful event was in store for her.

"Let us know as soon as you get home," Genbu said, letting her go. Sesshoumaru mounted the horse, having finished with his boots. Rin looked up at Inutaisho, still standing on the porch and held out her hand to be pulled up. Inutaisho swallowed and gripped her hand, pulling her up and into his arms. Rin held him especially tight, knowing that he was the most taciturn of her sons, and would hold it in without a word of complaint.

"Go see Kiri-chan for me, okay? And take care of the house?" Inutaisho made a small noise, breathing deeply as if taking up a store of her scent. "I have to go, Tai-chan..." she said, realizing that Sesshoumaru was probably getting impatient. She felt one last squeeze and was finally released. Inutaisho took a step back, and Rin turned to look at Sesshoumaru. He eased the horse next to the porch and held out his hand, helping Rin onto the saddle in front of him.

"Safe journey, mother," Genbu said, folding his arms somewhat petulantly. Inutaisho bid her good-bye as well, and Toku walked ahead to the hidden door, clearing away brush with his sword as he went. Rin waved back at her other two sons before facing forward. Sesshoumaru set his arms around her waist, and Rin, excited despite the imminent danger, couldn't contain a smile. It was about five minutes, but they reached the wall and cleared away part of the forest debris surrounding the secret door. Toku heaved his body onto the wall and shoved it open, surprised that it didn't creak as loudly as he thought it would.

"Good-bye, To-chan," Rin said, watching Toku as the horse walked by. He was breathing a little heavily but smiled at her, feeling better ever since she gave him the hug. _Mother always knows what to do._ "I'll see you when I get back!" Rin called, waving. Toku waved back and gripped the dent in the wall that served as a handle. Looking upon his mother for the last time for at least a couple of weeks, Toku pulled the door shut, bulging his biceps as the door resisted until it shut almost with a bang.

Rin jumped, a little surprised by the noise, but Sesshoumaru only held her a little closer, placing his hand over her abdomen and silently hoping. Lightly tapping the horse's flanks with his heels, the mare moved into a gallop, carrying the Lord of the Western Lands and his mate away from their home, headed towards the Southern Lands.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin said, her voice bouncing along with the horse. Sesshoumaru made a questioning noise.

"They'll be alright, won't they?" she asked. Sesshoumaru smirked, accustomed to Rin's selfless thinking._You should be worrying about yourself, Rin._

"Yes, they will be alright." And with that Rin enjoyed the ride, letting her worries wait for another time._I'll be alright, too. As long as I have Sesshoumaru with me._


	14. Chapter 14

_-Two Hours Later-_

The mare that Sesshoumaru and Rin were riding began to tire after about an hour of running at a moderate speed, so they slowed for another hour, watching the scenery pass as the horse caught its breath. The forest was thick around them, but Sesshoumaru knew all of the animal trails very well, and they made quick time as they transferred from one to the other. The sun was warm and golden that day, and though not much of it penetrated the forest canopy, small and large shafts of sunlight slanted diagonally through the air beneath, giving the forest a magical feel to it. The two riding the horse spoke very little, keeping their thoughts to themselves, although Sesshoumaru did comment that they would eventually break free of the forest for about half an hour before entering another.

Rin was on edge, worried about what the ceremony she would have to perform with the Shikon no Tama. _Do I need to sacrifice something? Cut myself and offer blood?_ She winced, hoping that she simply had to wish hard enough and her dreams would come true, but she knew that her simple hope had a slim chance of coming to fruition. Wondering about Inuyasha's mate, Kagome, Rin wondered if they would perform the ceremony together. _That makes me feel a little better, knowing I don't have to do it by myself._ Kagome, who helped her birth all of her children, came to be one of her few outside friends...and Rin liked to think that she had befriended Jaken and Inuyasha, too. She had not thought of it much, but her only companions were ones with whom she rarely met-her family was all she had. She smiled to herself, thinking of the times when her family was too much, but...

_I wonder how Okashi is doing...is Yoichi-sama eating well?_

Her life, before Sesshoumaru re-entered it, was a bit demeaning, especially with Kagatsu constantly hovering over her, but Okashi and Yoichi-sama...the housekeeper...they made life bearable. They let her life be enjoyable each day. And she missed them...

"Rin, are you alright? Do you need a break?" Sesshoumaru asked, jarring her from her thoughts. She took in a deep breath, looking around for a bit as the forest's natural but ancient scent filled her nostrils. He had not slowed the horse from its fast walk, but Rin could see that they were about halfway through a small clearing, most likely made from a fight between demons a few months before now. The area looked like it had been charred, but grass and small saplings were starting to grow again.

"No, I'm fine, but...Sesshoumaru-sama, this clearing..." she began, hinting at her confusion. The new clearing was made only a couple of hours from their home. _Are warring demons this close to us all the time?_She did remember that she rarely left the house in her previous life, perhaps only to visit Kagome and Inuyasha, or to mingle with humans in the nearest village, but more often that not, she was at home.

"As Jaken and I set out to check the borders again, about three months before I came to retrieve you, a fire demon challenged my seat in the Western Lands. Fire demons are very rare and unusually powerful, but he was too young. Stupid fool..." he finally whispered, obviously still angered. She wanted to ask how he had managed to defeat such a creature, but decided to stay her question until he had calmed down. Patting the horse's shoulder, which was still a bit slimy with sweat, she reassured the mare since it started neighing as they passed through the clearing.

"Do you need water?" he asked, changing the subject. Rin swallowed, her throat a bit dry, and accepted his offer. She felt his body twist behind her as he reached back for the gourd of water that Toku had packed onto the horse's right side. Suddenly self-conscious of how she was feeling, Rin realized that the insides of her thighs were starting to chafe against the saddle. _This certainly doesn't make personal matters much better._ Her mate's hand gripped her hip and his other came in front of her, holding the water gourd. She thanked him, tipping the gourd up and taking a few small swallows. Licking her lips, Rin stopped up the gourd again and handed it back to her mate. His hand stayed upon her hip as he twisted around again to put the water gourd back in its place.

When he turned back around, the horse entered the forest again, following a deer trail that traced the side of the mountain up ahead. The horse began to move a little more quickly, still careful of its footing, but it bounced her passengers quite a bit. Rin tried to hold herself still, wondering if her thighs would be okay when they stopped that night or if she'd find a red rash all along the insides. _Why a horse?_

Sesshoumaru was for the moment unaware of Rin's dilemma. He was keeping watch since he had been concerned that something might find them as they passed through the clearing, despite the fact that his nose could not detect anything. They made it through without incident, though. Letting his guard down only a tad, he relaxed his body, letting it curve around the woman in front of him. Using his connection through his hands, he checked to see if she was feeling any better, and his eyes widened in surprise. _She's in even more pain._ Needing to stop the horse, he reached his left hand forward to gather more of the reins while his right hand curved over the front of her belly, pressing back to keep her in place. The horse obediently stopped, and Rin straightened in the saddle.

"Is something wrong, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she called back over her shoulder.

"Are you in pain, Rin?" he asked, feeling a nagging in the back of his mind. He had felt the cancer growing in his mate in her previous life, all the while asking if she was pained, but she never said she was until the final days when it consumed her completely. Literally enraged that it might take her away from him again, Sesshoumaru was determined to make sure that she had not contracted the horrid disease.

"It's just that I have never ridden a horse before in this life, and my...my thighs, Sesshoumaru-sama..." she whispered, looking down at the hand over her lower abdomen. It was practically two inches from being a very intimate touch. "And I'm also still sore from our love-making, so the two together are not very comfortable." Sesshoumaru breathed a sigh of relief, dropping his chin a few degrees downward. _That's actually good to know..._ Sniffing in the fresh scent of her hair, a sudden urge came over him. The hand over her stomach slowly drifted downward, and the sound of his skin sliding over the soft cloth of her hakama was very audible in the silence of the forest around them. Rin took in a deep breath, a blush rising to her cheeks. He set the reins on the horn of the saddle and brought his arm back to wrap around her torso, just below her breasts. The pads of his fingers pressed into her pelvis, right at the top of her thighs.

"You're sore right here?" he asked, scooting just a bit closer to her backside. Her heartbeat quickened, thudding wonderfully against her ribs, and she sighed almost inaudibly, having missed the excitement of her mate's different methods of seduction. However, his question reminded her that she couldn't mate with him just yet since she was very sore. But...the temptation to let their little interlude continue for another minute was too much. She laid her head back on his shoulder, setting both of her hands over the one pressed to the juncture of her thighs.

"Yes, right there. It's sore right there, Sesshoumaru-sama," she whispered, closing her eyes. He closed his eyes as well, leaning his head down to suckle the skin on the side of her neck and breathe in her fresh scent.

"What would make it feel better?" He held his fingers still, but his did raise his left arm, pushing her breasts up a little higher. She turned her head towards his ear, feeling her braid move underneath the back of her skull.

"Could you rub it, master? Please," she breathed, only needing her words to carry an inch into her mate's ear. His loins jumped in reaction to her voice, soft and feminine, as it asked him to touch her.

"For a while, love," he replied, pressing his fingers against her body and slowly moving them in a circle. Rin took in a quick breath, which left her lungs in a shudder. She pinched her lower lip between her teeth, feeling her womanhood heat up beneath her master's deft hand. He knew that they could not go much farther than this, so while she enjoyed his attentions, he thought of how they could continue without chafing the insides of her thighs.

"Uhh...uhhhhh..." Rin sighed. Her thighs were shaking a bit, as if they wanted to move. A solution appeared in Sesshoumaru's mind, but he knew that it would kill him to do it. However, if he wanted to mate with her again, she had to get better first, and the horse ride wasn't helping. _Damn it..._ He indulged her for another minute, vainly attempting to not react to the sensual moans she made. Lifting his face to the canopy above, he brought his nose away from the scent she was emitting. _N-no more..._

"Rin, can you turn around?" he asked, halting his hand. Her shoulders sagged, realizing that he was stopping already. She brought her hands away from her abdomen, letting him set his hand on her thigh.

"Yes, umm...all the way around?" she asked, bringing her left leg over the mare's neck, which was still obediently standing still. She heard Sesshoumaru's affirmative answer and got seated sideways before preparing to get her right leg back over the saddle without falling off. Holding onto his shoulders, she kept her leg bent as she squeezed it between them, bringing it over and then dropping her foot back down.

Their position was awkward for the moment. Rin felt like she had nowhere to put her legs since they now had to use the space that Sesshoumaru's legs were using, and it was as if she were riding the saddle way too high. He made sure she was steady before turning left to find a blanket, certain that she would see a certain protrusion from his hakama. If she noticed, though, she made no noise that told him so, and he tugged a thicker wool blanket from the front of a saddlebag. Turning back around, he set the blanket behind her on the neck of the horse, which didn't react beyond the restless stomp of a foot.

Looking down into Rin's deep brown eyes, Sesshoumaru slid his hands beneath her thighs, and she automatically gripped his shoulders for support. Pulling her towards him, he brought her legs over his thighs until her body was pressed flush against his own. Her eyes widened, indicating that she definitely noticed his arousal now, but he merely leaned down to hold her tightly against his chest, forcing Rin to break eye contact with him. Lifting her rear high enough to slide the blanket beneath, he set her back down, having cushioned her backside and brought her abused flesh into contact with a much more pliant surface. She lifted her feet, crossing her ankles behind him, and wrapped her arms around his torso as she set her cheek against his neck. The spikes in his armor had been temporarily removed, so Rin didn't have to worry about them poking her. However, his chest was still covered with the thick metal, so she was a bit disappointed that she couldn't come into more direct contact with his skin.

Sesshoumaru, having settled his mate, reached for the reins and touched his heels to the horse's flanks. The mare, having grown anxious to move again, neighed and immediately took a fast walk, making her way down and around the deer path as it followed the curves of the mountain.

Now that she could hold him, and now that her thighs no longer troubled her, the gentle rumblings of the horse's movements beneath her couldn't stop Rin from feeling drowsy as she absorbed her mate's body heat and took in the masculine scent of his skin and hair. The sun even couldn't wake her since it had a hard enough time peeking through the forest canopy. Though once in a while she was jarred enough to keep her from slumber, she eventually felt her eyelids sag shut with finality.

Feeling his mate fall asleep, Sesshoumaru kept one hand on the reins and held her close with the other. Though nothing threatening was nearby, he felt a sudden surge of protectiveness, realizing that his mate had to feel exceptionally safe with him if she was able to fall asleep in such a place. He had not thought of it when they camped at night so many times in her previous life, but here and now, he knew that she had an incredible trust in his ability to protect her, and it somehow put a pressure on him that made him tighten his arm.

_-Back at the Mansion-_

Genbu and Inutaisho looked towards the secret door of the wall of the complex, watching Toku return a bit wearily. Genbu made an angry noise, gritting his teeth and looking down at his feet. Inutaisho remained silent, waiting for his younger brother to walk to them.

"Are they off then?" he asked when Toku was within a few feet of them. Toku merely nodded, not looking too pleased. Inutaisho, however anxious he was himself, had come to a realization when his mother had hugged him. "What are you two so worried about?" Genbu and Toku looked to their eldest brother, not understanding. "We know the requirements of the ceremony...but we forgot that mother is the one who will be going through it. Just by spending a day with her, anyone could see that she would have no problem meeting the requirements." He sighed, closing his eyes and letting his head slightly cock to the left as he folded his arms inside his sleeves. "We're all just getting worked up for nothing."

Toku and Genbu gave each other a blank stare.

"There's still some food left, if you guys want some," Genbu announced as he easily hopped onto the porch. His two brothers rubbed their stomachs at the same time, following him inside as they talked of inconsequential things.

_-Two Hours Later-_

Having packed the phoenix demons with a bit of food, the two youngest brothers were ready to leave again. Inutaisho, however much he hated his brothers' nagging, was sorry to see them go. Toku and Genbu always did stick together. Inutaisho spent more of his time with his parents or alone, but he now wished that he had gotten to know his siblings a little better.

"Do you know when you'll be back?" he asked them as they mounted. Genbu flipped his long mane behind his shoulders, pulling it into a ponytail and looked to his brother to give their answer.

"Send for us when mother has returned. We'll come visit then." Toku took hold of the reins, sending his brother a farewell salute as he lightly kicked the sides of his ride. Genbu finished tying his hair back and flashed a grin at Inutaisho.

"Give Yokiri-san a kiss for me, 'kay?" he called, bringing a quick angry blush to Inutaisho's face. Genbu chuckled at his own joke and nudged his phoenix demon, which followed the other one into the air.

"You'll get a broken nose for _that_ one when you get back, _Bu-channnn!"_ Inutaisho hollered, brandishing about his fist.

_-Deep in the Forest-_

Rounding a bend in the deer path, their small party was now merely a hundred yards from a small valley, the large clearing that Sesshoumaru had spoken of earlier. His arousal had thankfully gone down a few minutes after Rin fell asleep. She seemed to be comfortable enough, but he had to wake her and gently shook her shoulder.

"Mm...Sesshoumaru-sama?" she whispered, her voice a cracking a bit. She cleared her throat, bringing one hand up to rub at her eyes.

"We will soon enter the clearing between our forest and the Weeping Forest. The mare is going to run through while she has a clear open path, so you had best prepare yourself," Sesshoumaru warned her. Rin, of course, realized that moving with the horse would be difficult in this position, making it harder on the mare, but she wasn't sure how she was supposed to sit without just returning to her original position.

"Should...should I turn back around, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked, looking up at his alert features. He shook his head, and she felt his hand leave her back as he gathered the reins in both hands.

"Sit as close to me as possible and try not to let your legs move too much." Rin felt like rolling her eyes, wondering why they couldn't have borrowed the phoenix demons from their two sons. _Why a horse?_

"Umm, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she called up, tightening her arms and legs around him. He made a questioning noise, not looking down at her as they neared the edge of the forest. "Why are we going to Inuyasha-sama's home on a horse?"

She waited for an answer, but heard none for a few seconds, until she saw a smile spread across his face.

"Because this is more fun," he answered. With that, sunlight spilled over their shoulders upon reaching the valley floor. He kicked at the mare's sides, galvanizing her into a fast run. Rin gasped, very much jostled, and held onto his body for dear life. The mare whinnied, glad to be sprinting across the open field.

The wind immediately blasted against her back, tossing her braid over her shoulder. She felt Sesshoumaru lean down a bit over the horse, forcing her to hold onto him to keep from falling back. The horse's hooves clomped loudly against the grassy field as they shot through, and Rin shut her eyes, tucking her nose against his neck. However, as the shock wore away, she became aware of something else.

Something was growing beneath her, and the motion of the horse pressed her directly upon it. Over and over again...

_Oh, goodness..._

Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth, having hoped that this wouldn't happen but knowing that it was going to, anyway. He tried not to think of it, but the fact that Rin was almost bouncing against him, even if she couldn't help it, only made matters worse. Despite his best intentions, though, he was enjoying their drawn-out foreplay, however odd it was-and it was certainly very pleasant. He felt her move her arms, gripping his shoulders from behind so that she could get a better hold on him. Having somewhat settled them into the much faster pace, he left the reins in one hand and brought the other down to hold her against him, keeping his eyes ahead.

Rin tried to ignore the obvious bulge repeatedly being bumped against her and opened her eyes. She looked off to the side, watching the scenery blur past them. From her perspective, she could see the line of open field that separated the two forests, dotted with rocks both large and small. Perusing her past life's memories, Rin recalled that the Weeping Forest was much darker beneath the canopy than their own forest. Very little wind entered the forest, so the air was supposedly thick with the scent of tree sap and decaying leaves. The forest earned its name because the sounds of weeping could supposedly be heard after dark. Rin had once asked her master if a troubled soul or a demon were haunting the forest, but he didn't respond at the time. They had never traveled through the forest, only flying above it, but now it seemed that they would have to hear the weeping for themselves.

Rin clenched her jaw, realizing that her body was reacting to Sesshoumaru's thrusting hips. _Well, at least my thighs won't become chafed._ Riding forwards put her legs at a different angle, forcing her thighs to rub very uncomfortably against the saddle, but riding this way merely exposed her womanhood to certain distractions, however enjoyable they were.

His hand underneath her back let Rin relax her arms somewhat, which eventually would have tired. Setting her chin on Sesshoumaru's shoulder, she felt the wind blowing past her, a warm strong wind that reminded her of her mate. Closing her eyes, Rin recalled last night, letting his distracting hips work with her memories. Though he had shown a great deal of emotion several times when they made love before, especially for a demon as serious as he was, last night was so much different. She had never heard him beg her, never heard him as tense with sexual need as he was last night. It had made her feel incredibly powerful, and she only wished to give him more of the same. She wanted to hear him beg again and to reward him with as much pleasure as her body and his own could produce.

She smiled to herself, feeling a warm churning in her stomach as they rode along. Taking a deep breath, Rin opened her eyes to look up at the sky, and gasped in shock. Fisting her hands over Sesshoumaru's shoulders, she frantically whispered,

"Above us, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Three large crow demons, high in the sky and perhaps a quarter mile away, were plainly visible from her perspective. The brief thought questioning why he had not smelled them flitted through her mind, but it was quickly dashed as she heard him grit his teeth next to her ear. She gasped in fright, clinging to him as he suddenly pulled up on the reins of the horse. The mare stopped immediately, neighing with anxiety and rearing up once. Rin tightened every limb around her mate, her heart pounding as the crow demons rapidly descended upon their party, shrieking in delight. The horse landed on its front feet again, and Sesshoumaru quickly disentangled himself from his mate, landing on the ground in a mere couple of seconds.

"You bastards..." he growled, drawing his sword. Toukijin, however evil, had chosen Sesshoumaru as its master simply because of his power and strength. Rin didn't like to think of her mate as being evil...but powerful...that was definitely a word to describe him. He was incredibly strong, a fact that Rin was reminded of almost every day. She watched him leap from the ground to meet the crows halfway. She knew that she should at least turn around on the horse, but she was scared that it would suddenly turn tail and run just as she was trying to turn around. One of the crows screamed in pain, and she whipped her head up to look. Having had its right wing chopped off, the crow floundered for a couple of seconds. The wing fell to the ground about ten feet in front of Rin, followed by the splash of demon blood. Next came the rest of the crow, landing in a heap a couple of feet away from the wing. Still alive, it continued to flail around, squawking in pain and dismay. A noise to her right drew her attention then, and she saw Sesshoumaru, who had just landed and leapt again right when her eyes landed on him.

_I saw him fight so much in my past life, especially while I was still very young, and he even fought against Naraku, perhaps the toughest enemy any of us had ever faced._ After Naraku's defeat, life settled down, pretty much until the surprise attack of the spider demons. Sayo was the last of their troubles until Rin's own death. And now...something else was after them. _Why can't we be left alone?_

Another screech of agony, and the second crow died before it hit the ground, having been severed vertically. The first crow was still flapping its one good wing, obviously trying to do something. Rin watched it with bated breath, hoping that it would die very, very soon. Sesshoumaru landed once again, and the third crow dived at him, missing entirely as he deftly evaded the dumb bird. The first crow, however, had a mission in its death throes, and was slowly making its way towards Rin. Frozen, she watched it as it came towards her, and she felt the horse anxiously stomping its feet underneath her. Realizing that she desperately needed help, especially since she couldn't seem to move, her mouth attempted to say something. As she was about to call for Sesshoumaru, who was currently spinning back to slice the last crow in half, the first crow jumped at the back end of the horse, squawking loudly. Rin screamed, covering her face even as she pressed her chest to the saddle and gripped the sides of the horse tightly with her legs. The crow missed his target, too short, and ended up pecking the horse's rear. She felt the mare jerk underneath her, and it immediately broke into a run, whinnying with fear.

Sesshoumaru looked to the horse as soon as Rin screamed, and felt his heart drop into his stomach._Rin... _Sprinting after the horse, which was running at its fastest, he only hoped that his mate could stay on long enough for him to catch up. _Rin..._

Rin's mind was yelling but her voice was silent, and the horse showed no signs of slowing down. If anything, having a dog demon chasing it only made it run faster. Moreover, several boulders lie ahead about one hundred yards, blocking the horse from running much farther unless she turned a full ninety degrees to find a break in the line of rocks. Sesshoumaru prepared to leap forward, now only a couple horse-lengths behind. He could feel the intense fear in his mate, and it made his heart pound with an extra dose of adrenalin. Expecting the horse to suddenly stop or turn, his mouth fell open when he saw it prepare to jump instead.

Rin could feel it, too, and her voice finally unlocked itself. Screaming at her loudest, she grasped for something to hold her to the horse, but the force with which it launched its front end in order to clear the rocks was too great for Rin to overcome. Feeling her body leave the solid saddle beneath her, she saw large rocks beneath her as she too flew up in the air, moving in the same direction as the horse since she still had a bit of momentum. Her fingers clasped at thin air, finding nothing to save her, and she shut her eyes. Feeling her body slowly flipping, meaning that she would land directly on her head, only a single word popped into her mind...

She ran out of breath quickly, having screamed until her throat was sore, and her voice fell silent as she quietly waited for the last second before she would land and most likely die from impact. When her body suddenly jerked in the air, she thought for a split second that she had hit the ground, but nothing on her body hurt. Two strong arms tightly pulled her against a hard metal surface. Her upper body was flipped up, and she felt gravity lose its hold on her.

Sesshoumaru landed cleanly on his feet, skidding to a stop as he bent his knees to take the impact. Once they had completely stopped, he quickly looked her over, searching for any part of her body that was feeling abnormal pain. Finding nothing out of the ordinary besides a racing heart, fast breathing, and high adrenalin, he set her on the ground. Her eyes, clenched shut, opened slowly and stared at the space in front of her with her mouth ajar. _She's okay...she's okay..._ Rin seemed to be in a trance for a few seconds, not moving, not even blinking. Then suddenly gasping, she looked up at her savior, realizing that she was still alive and uninjured. Finding his face full of concern, she felt relief spread in her chest, and tears began to well up. A frown creased his lips, and he wondered why moisture was gathering over her warm brown eyes. _Rin...you're all right..._

She sobbed once, blinking a few tears out, and then threw her arms around her mate's neck, holding him as tightly as she could. He returned her hug, comforting her as best as he could. She sobbed against his neck, but he felt her fear quickly dissipating, being replaced by what had to be relief. She choked out her gratitude, pressing closer to him. _Damn those meddling bastards..._

Sesshoumaru almost turned his eyes to see if the horse had stopped running yet, hearing that Rin was starting to quiet down, but she abruptly pulled back and cupped his face between her small hands. Wondering what she was up to, he looked at her face with confusion. Her cheeks were wet with tears and flushed red, and she was still breathing heavily. Her lashes were spiked from being wet, and her lips were especially red and pouty. Another sob came out, though it was obvious that Rin was trying to stop, and another tear squeezed out from the corner of her eye, following a wet path on her cheek.

_Don't cry..._

Just as he was about to reach up and wipe the moisture from her face, Rin leaned forward, taking his lips in a heated kiss. Sesshoumaru blinked, confused as to why she suddenly needed to kiss him. His eyes refused to stay open, though, and he took in a quick breath through his nostrils. She eventually brought her lips away, only to shower a multitude of kisses onto his face: his chin, the sides of his mouth, at least two kisses to each cheek, and then repeat. He felt a chuckle bubbling up inside his chest, but managed to suppress it.

"Rin..." he rushed to say, having a hard time finding a second when she wasn't about to land another kiss on him. She didn't listen to him, though, fitting her mouth to his again and blatantly shoving her tongue inside. He felt her slink her arms around his neck, holding him to her as she let the raw emotions from the past five minutes drain from her body. The way she kissed him reminded him of the woman who made love to him last night. Though it somewhat hurt his masculine pride to say that she made love to him, he couldn't deny that it was true. Rin had complete control over him for that hour of their lives, and it had been the most soul-shattering pleasure he had ever felt. He only hoped that it could happen again soon...

Squeezing his free hand between them, Sesshoumaru found the lapel to her haori and slipped his hand inside, searching for a soft mound of flesh to curve his fingers around. Rin gasped once his hand fit itself to the slope of her right breast, and their kiss broke off, though their lips still touched. She sighed, feeling pleasant little shocks of sensation as his fingers brushed the sensitive tip. Just as she was about to continue their kiss, she heard an impatient neighing only a few feet from her left ear. Looking towards the source, she saw that the mare had dutifully returned, having finished its panic attack. Blushing and turning her face back to Sesshoumaru, who still had his hand inside her clothing, Rin realized just where they were...

_She's beautiful when she blushes._

"Ahh! I'm so sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama! I-I didn't mean to drape myself all over you!" she said, flustered. She pulled back, forcing him to remove his hand from her haori. Shakily coming to a stand, she crossed her arms, huffily looking off to the side. He smiled to himself, knowing that she was hiding her body's reaction to his hands. "And...sorry for the trouble I caused you because of the horse," she added, scuffing the bottom of her shoes. She saw him gracefully rise to his feet from the corner of her eye, and her blush became all the more intense.

_Of all the times and places for me to..._

She flinched in surprise, feeling his hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she dolefully noted the small arrogant smile on his face, and half-pouted, squinting her eyes at him.

"Let's get going, love," he said, nudging her towards the horse. Rin began to move towards the mare, which almost looked apologetic, as Sesshoumaru glanced around for the blanket that had come off of the saddle with Rin. Seeing it a few feet away, he retrieved it and dusted it off before re-folding it. Looking to his mate, he felt his heart skip a beat. _She's all right._

_But that was close._

_-Twenty-five minutes later-_

After re-settling themselves on the horse, they had kicked off again towards their destination: the Weeping Forest. Rin was a bit nervous to be entering the forest, now that they were so close. She wondered how she could be afraid of just a bunch of trees, considering the demon who was personally escorting her through them. No matter how nervous she was, though, she was still greatly distracted by the same bulge repeatedly bumping against her. Even when they first re-mounted the horse, she had immediately noticed that his arousal had not faded in the slightest. She had somewhat unsuccessfully ignored it, thinking about the attack that had just occurred. However, her mind eventually began to think of the future, and of their inevitable jaunt through the Weeping Forest. She wondered if they would have to stop there for the night.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" she said, her voice bouncing with the horse. Feeling that they were going a bit downhill, she tightened her legs around him.

"What is it?" he answered, breathing a bit heavily. _Why is he out of breath?_ She stumbled her words for a couple of seconds, having been put off guard by confusion, but she let the thought pass and asked her questions.

"How much longer will it be until we've reached the Weeping Forest?" Since she couldn't look behind her without disrupting the rhythm of the horse, Rin had been facing the way they had come the entire time.

"We have only...half a mile to go, love," Sesshoumaru replied, still breathing heavily. She wondered if it was really that strenuous to hold her up and ride with the horse at the same time. _If he were human, I would understand, but..._

"Do we have to stay the night inside the forest?" she asked. His breaths were becoming a little heavier, and she wondered if she was becoming too burdensome for him.

"Yeah," he said. It was a blunt answer, and though she was used to it, she eventually came to suspect that he was being blunt for another reason. Feeling a blush on her cheeks, she shyly smiled. She believed she was mean for feeling it, but she was glad that he was having such a difficult time due to his...aroused state.

For another couple of minutes, the mare ran all out, quickly approaching the tree line of the Weeping Forest. As they approached, Sesshoumaru told Rin to hang onto him, and gripped the reins in both hands. Pulling back, he slowed the mare down, which was huffing and puffing from exertion, but still antsy to keep moving. It neighed a couple of times, swinging its head from side to side, but it otherwise stood still. Once they had stopped, Rin twisted her torso around, looking in front of them at the entrance to the forest.

"So...scary..." she softly stated, summarizing exactly how the forest felt to most of its visitors. Even from the very edge of the forest, she could see that it was ancient. The trees were enormous, stretching high to the sky and affording a very tall canopy beneath the treetops. The corpses of fallen trees were covered with moss and halfway-decayed leaves, and the extremely narrow deer trail that they were about to follow had its own obstacles already clearly visible further into the forest. The leaves of the gingkoes and oaks were very dense, sucking up the sunshine and leaving little for the space beneath-meaning it was very dark inside. And at night, no moon would be visible unless they found a clearing.

She wasn't sure if she imagined it or not, but a guttural yawning noise emanated from the forest, as if it was preparing to swallow them up.

Looking back to Sesshoumaru, Rin was about to ask him if it was at all possible to go around, already knowing that her question was futile. However, the pinkish stain on his cheeks made her pause._He's...blushing?_

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" she quietly asked, bringing her left hand up and hooking it over his bicep. He looked down at her, and Rin, digging her fingers in a little, could feel that he was agonizingly aroused. "Do y-...I..." she stuttered, not knowing what to say.

"We've no time to waste until nightfall when the horse can no longer guide herself," he said, pointedly bypassing her scattered thought. She lightly bit down on her lower lip, wondering if that was okay. _He's in some pain..._ Flexing her thigh muscles, Rin pressed herself a little closer to her mate, and watched his jaw tighten and his cheeks redden even more.

"I can make it quick..." she whispered, hoping to find them a tiny bit of privacy among the trees. Though it was highly unlikely that anyone was even remotely near them, she remembered how often it was that someone they knew happened upon them as they traveled in her past life. _That would be so embarrassing!_Remembering the incident with the tree demon in her past life, she inwardly cringed, still mortified.

Though her knees were still bruised, she didn't care about dropping down onto them if it would help her mate.

"Rin..." he roughly said, holding her closer. _We have to keep moving._ Kicking at the horse's sides, he galvanized it into moving forward, entering the dark recesses of the ancient forest. Rin lost eye contact with him, but did not feel rejected, surprisingly enough. _He's in a hurry._ She curled as close to him as she could, though, feeling an incredible trepidation as soon as the shadow of the trees passed overhead.

Her mate could sense that she was afraid and it made him even more protective of her. That Rin should even feel fear was something that made Sesshoumaru angry. _She's had enough fear to last her the rest of eternity._ His guard was up, as well as other things...

The horse carefully picked its way through the forest, following the deer trail but sometimes needing to step over or jump over a fallen tree. It seemed that they were moving slowly, but the ground passed underneath them quickly. For the first hour that they traveled, they heard absolutely nothing besides the loud crunch of the horse's hooves as it struck the forest floor, pointing out that the air around them was as silent as the grave. Rin couldn't hear any birds, and she only faintly heard the wind above the tree canopy as it rustled the leaves. It felt as if something ominous were hanging over them, breathing hot air on her neck and groaning with surprised delight over the fact that they were passing through.

"Sesshoumaru-sama..." Rin whispered, feeling as if she needed to elbow the air behind her in order to shoo away the ominous presence.

"You'll be alright, love," he said, speaking against the crown of her head. _I wonder if she'll be able to sleep tonight._

The end of the forest was a great river, crossed by a large bridge that human craftsmen often fortified. The other side of the river was mostly clear for about a mile. Humans had thinned the trees and created a large road that connected two large villages. Once the trees thickened again, they would be in Inuyasha Forest, appropriately named for a half-demon who was sealed to a tree within it for fifty years. _Seems so long ago._

Sesshoumaru could feel the energy of the evil presence within the forest. It was strong and very, very old. It was no surprise that no animals could be detected beneath the canopy. Whether it was a twisted human soul, having warped into a wicked manifestation, or an ancient demon that ate anything living, the evil atmosphere of the forest had killed everything inside the forest except for the trees. His father had told him long ago as to the nature of the creature that haunted the Weeping Forest, but Sesshoumaru wished to leave it be.

It greatly discouraged humans from the south to spread north and westward, which kept their little part of the country relatively free of humans.

Having fallen in love with and mated a human, Sesshoumaru could not tell himself that he still hated humans. He only wanted the rest to stay away while he kept one very close by his side.

Smiling to himself, he wondered if it was even worth it to fight such a power.

Either way, he hurried the horse through the forest for Rin's sake, if for nothing else. Getting into a fight now, no matter how trivial, was wasting time. He had certainly thought to request the use of the phoenix demons, but his sons' hold in the north was very fragile, and he was too proud to ask them for help...

Sesshoumaru felt angry with himself once again, knowing that his mate should come before his pride. Though he tried to rationalize to himself that getting to Inuyasha's home a day later than they could have, after sixteen long years, shouldn't make much of a difference, but he couldn't help the nagging feeling that time was running out.

_-En Route to the North-_

Toku led the way, flying north to the castle of the former Demon Lord of the Northern Lands. He and Genbu had not spoken of it much, but neither was sure how to determine which of them should become the new Demon Lord. Toku certainly wanted it, but he loved his brother so much more than he wanted the northern throne, and knew that only a fair contest of some sort should determine the winner.

This year was his fiftieth birthday. Genbu would be forty-four, certainly not young, but younger than him. Would their ages decide it? He then thought of his human side, and how most human males were grandfathers by the time they were his age.

_I haven't even found a mate yet._

Genbu had told him of what their mother had said about finding a mate to him earlier that morning: that they had much more time-in fact, they had all of eternity to find the one that fit them best. But he found himself lonlier everyday, wishing that he had his soulmate now to spend the rest of eternity with. He felt jealous of Inutaisho, who, despite the obstacles currently in his way, had found someone he truly loved.

The phoenix demon grunted beneath him, jolting Toku out of his self-pitying thoughts. Looking down at the ground almost two hundred feet below them, Toku could make out what had to be a wide trail in the forest. He surmised it to be Goyou Trail, judging by their approximate location. Demon tribes normally used it to access hunting paths further inside the forest, though humans sometimes used it as well. They were well beyond the boundary of the Western Lands by now, so weaker, smaller demon tribes existed throughout the entire region. Back in his father's domain, tribes simply didn't form.

Wondering what had bothered the phoenix demon, he searched along the path for any sign of movement, and finally found something. Between the overhanging branches that blocked most of his view, he could discern a single figure...no, two, running along the path. Bringing his head down, he took a long, careful smell of the air below him, hoping to catch the scent of the creatures below.

Rearing back in surprise, Toku looked back at Genbu, who had been watching him curiously.

"What is it, brother?" he called forward, looking down at the ground in confusion.

"Fire demons! Below us," he yelled back, earning a startled reaction from Genbu. Neither of them was scared, but they were rather surprised. Finding one fire demon was a rarity. Two or more was practically a miracle. Fire demons rarely ever mated with one another, so their population was particularly miniscule. Also, they normally stayed to the south, perhaps wandering as far north as to trickle into the eastern and western lands, but this far north was not heard of. Steering the phoenix demons to land on the trail below, Toku and Genbu made to intercept them. The phoenixes didn't like being near the fire demons, but followed where they were bidden to go. The pair landed with a loud thud, swirling about tiny twigs and fallen leaves before things settled down again. Toku and Genbu dismounted, and though Genbu placed his hand on his sword, he didn't draw it out...at least, not yet.

They waited for the fire demons to round the bend, wondering what they were doing this far north. Toku and Genbu both realized that the demons could be coming to challenge the latest holders of the northern throne, but decided to stay cautious before they simply ran at them with swords at the ready.

Hearing fast, uneven footsteps, Toku laid his hand on his sword as well, preparing to draw it if need be. The gentle chirping of birds seemed out of place at such a time, and he wondered why he noticed it. Their demon hearing could pick up rapid heartbeats and labored breathing, and Toku realized that they might be running from something. His hand tightened on the hilt of his sword.

Genbu glanced askance at his brother, noticing the hard set of Toku's jaw. _So...he realizes that they must be frightened of something._ Though he could barely make it out, a faint noise reached his ears, like the heavy thumps of a large drum. Seeing Toku smirk, Genbu asked him what was so amusing.

"Never a dull day around here," he replied with a grin. Genbu chuckled at that, fisting his hand around the handle of his sword.

At last, the fire demons rounded the bend, not seeing the dog demons in front of them since their eyes were to the ground. Toku was struck dumb for a few seconds, as well as Genbu. Both were female-he had never heard of anyone seeing a female fire demon.

He wondered if that meant that the females killed any witnesses to their passing.

The one in front limped badly, but still ran at a moderate pace. She wore black hakama and a black haori, meticulously embroidered with bright red thread that had shaped itself into a dragon. He could see an awful wound on her left thigh, and the blood that practically poured from it splashed onto the trail. Her build was tall and lean, like the one behind her. Her skin was a pale, pale olive, and he could see part of her red demon marking beneath the lapels of her haori. Her long, blazingly bright red hair was woven into an enormous braid that hung over her shoulder and down to her hip. He watched as she raised her gaze to him, showing him the dark red irises of a fire demon.

She was beautiful.

Toku could see that the pain of her wound was making her cry, for the wet trails of spent tears were on her smooth and pale cheeks. Surprise and terror was immediately in her eyes, seeing what was obviously an older male dog demon with his hand on his sword.

Genbu was eyeing the other female. She had much the same coloring as her companion, but she was a hand shorter and he could tell that her nose was a little more upturned. She wore blood red hakama and a matching haori, similarly embroidered with silken black thread that weaved the image of a tiger.

Her wounds were more serious. There was one on her right arm and her left side, both bleeding profusely. She had her left hand clasped to her wounded side as she jogged along, huffing with exertion. Her cheeks were also wet, but both Toku and Genbu noticed that neither of them was sobbing-simply crying silently as they ran from their pursuers. Genbu watched as the female further back noticed her companion slowing down and looked up to see what was the matter. Gasping with surprise and fear, she stopped next to her friend, edging closer to her as if it would make them stronger. They stood only ten feet from Toku and Genbu, breathing heavily and eyeing the ones in front of them.

"Who are you?" the taller one asked. Genbu noticed that her gaze was directed only to Toku, and smirked as he realized that she preferred to speak to him. _Don't I look amiable?_

"I believe that we're allowed to ask the questions here," Toku replied.

"Do you even know to whom you are speaking?"

"A fire demon, obviously. I want to know why you are this far north, in our territory."

"Y-your territory?" she asked, a little surprised. Looking back, the taller female exchanged an odd glance with the shorter one.

"Are you the demon brothers who overthrew Kurokuma?" she asked, finally bestowing her gaze to Genbu as well.

"Answer my question first," Toku answered, flicking his left thumb up and bringing his sword an inch out of its scabbard. The fire demon in front of him eyed the sword warily, but then brought her eyes back to his own.

"If you are the demon brothers, then it is you who we came to see."

It was Toku and Genbu's turn to look at each other, and Genbu imperceptibly nodded.

"Yes, we are the current holders of the northern throne, and we intend to keep it. What business do you have with us?" Toku asked, taking his hand away from his sword. Genbu didn't remove his hand, looking at the shorter fire demon as she visibly became paler. The pool of blood gathering at her feet was getting rather large.

"Please...can't we speak elsewhere...after we can tend our wounds?" the taller one asked. Toku looked to her thigh, and noticed that her knees were shaking.

"We can bring you with us," he acknowledged, looking to Genbu for confirmation. "Give us your names, though, before we leave." The taller demon chanced a glance behind them, and Genbu ears picked up on the heavy drums again, which were most certainly closer this time.

"I am Ikkatsu. She is Tenrai," she submitted, begging him with her eyes to make haste. Toku knew very well how far the danger was, though. And he had an idea as to what it was if it had made such wounds in these two lovely females.

"I am Toku and this is Genbu," he said, setting his hand on his brother's shoulder. Genbu kept his eyes on Tenrai, though. Her eyes were beginning to droop. Ikkatsu nodded, burning their names into her mind as she took a hesitant step forward. Tenrai had been leaning on her companion, using the tenuous support to keep her upright, but it was gone once Ikkatsu took a step, and she began to pitch forward, seeing gray at the edge of her vision. Ikkatsu barely had time to react before she saw Genbu at her feet, catching her sister easily.

Genbu was amazing by how light the fire demon was. He hefted her up in his arms, seeing that she had fallen unconscious. Her hair, tied simply into a ponytail like his, fairly dripped over his arm, and he could already tell that it was as soft as a candle's flame.

"Tenrai!" her companion gasped, stepping towards Genbu. He directed a reassuring smile at her, informing Ikkatsu that the girl had merely fainted. Turning to bring her to his phoenix demon, Genbu brought the girl up into the saddle with him, looking at his brother with one raised eyebrow.

"You will ride with me," Toku fairly commanded, looking at Ikkatsu. Not sure why he suddenly was being rude, Toku wondered if it was a mistaken attempt to look masculine. Ikkatsu only nodded, though, looking behind her again. "Quickly now," he reminded her, gesturing for her to come towards him. Ikkatsu slowly made her way to him, the pain in her leg becoming more of a hindrance. Standing next to the phoenix, Toku turned Ikkatsu away from him and took hold of her hips. He felt her stiffen a little, but ignored the movement as he bulged his arms and brought her over the saddle easily, as if she weighed no more than a pitcher of water. Seeing that Genbu was working on wrapping a bandage around Tenrai's arm, he hoisted himself up to the saddle, sitting close behind Ikkatsu since the saddle wasn't itself very large.

Nudging the phoenix with his feet, he managed to turn it around just as Genbu tied off the wrapping for Tenrai's injured arm. Toku inclined his head to Genbu, who tossed him some of the cloth, and Toku caught it with one hand, transferring it to Ikkatsu for safekeeping so that she could apply pressure to her wound once they had lifted off. Genbu's phoenix jumped into the air, catching the wind currents with its giant wings, and rose as it made its way north again. Toku followed him, looking back as the dust from a traveling army became visible to his eyes about a mile further south on the trail.

_Gunshots._

Looking forward again, he knew that the army would never catch up to them, but he worried that they would eventually find the castle of the Northern Demon Lord, if that wasn't their ultimate destination.

Hearing an arduous sigh in front of him, Toku turned his attention to Ikkatsu, who had made a neat fold of the cloth that he had handed to her and was pressing it down against her wound. He saw that her left hand was trembling. Knowing that it must be painful, and that her will to make it stop bleeding was failing because the pressure hurt even more, Toku wordlessly brought his hand over hers, pressing down. He looked across to Genbu.

The arm he had dressed lay behind him as Tenrai sat limply in his arms. Her head was set against his shoulder and he supported her back with one arm, which held the reins, while his other hand held a cloth to her side. It was already soaked, and he bore an angry frown as he watched the scenery go by.

Toku himself was distracted, though, as Ikkatsu obviously relaxed against him.

"Are you alright?" he asked, wondering if she had herself fainted.

"I'm okay now, thank you. You're...you're very kind, I can tell," she said, placing her other hand over his as it rested on the horn of the phoenix's saddle. Toku was aghast to realize that he was blushing.

Genbu spared a couple of seconds to check Tenrai's pulse, thinking that he had been too late. She was still alive, but her heartbeat was slow and her breathing was shallow. Angrily tossing away the soaked bandage to fall to its doom, he applied another to her side, pressing hard and hoping just as hard. This one didn't immediately become saturated, which meant that the bleeding was slowing down.

_Hang on..._

After about ten more minutes, he applied a new bandage, throwing away the old one even though it wasn't completely soaked. He looked over to Toku, seeing that Ikkatsu's wounded thigh was bound, and that she was in an exhausted sleep with her head back against Toku's shoulder.

_It's amazing they're alive at all. Humans are easy adversaries...when in small groups. An army with is another thing._

Wondering why the army attacked them...or vice versa...Genbu made a mental note to ask Ikkatsu or Tenrai about it later.

He was about to check her pulse again when he felt her move in his arms. Her injured arm loosely wrapped around his waist, and she made a small moan of pain. Nuzzling closer to him, Tenrai curled her fingers into the back of his haori and set her lips against his neck. She remained still after that, obviously only half-awake.

Genbu had been frozen solid during the entire thing, for some reason embarrassed. And all his mind could think about was how soft her lips were.

_Mother...you may be in for a surprise._


	15. Chapter 15

_-High Above the Forest-_

Toku and Genbu would have to stop for the night. Though it was partly due to the wounded fire demons in their care, and though they'd normally keep going until they reached the black rooftops of the northern castle, they wouldn't be able to avoid setting down for the night. _It's Genbu's turn._ Looking at the setting sun, which was only perhaps half an hour from sinking behind the horizon, Toku looked toward the left at the face of his younger brother. His brows turned down in confusion at the listless, deflated expression he saw. _What is it now?_

Lending his attention to the girl in Genbu's arms, he wondered what the matter was. She still had color in her cheeks. It was an odd color, but it was there. His younger brother felt his eyes upon him and turned to lend his gaze to Toku. The confusion was the most obvious emotion in Genbu's eyes.

Holding the girl a bit closer, he shook his head.

Toku's shoulders fell a bit. _She died after all._ Even though he knew neither of these strange demons, he felt angry. His first impression was that Tenrai seemed like a gentle person, but Toku knew that looks could be deceiving. He was resolute to get the whole story out of her sister and then decide if he was right, but he felt angry all the same. It was an emotion he did not feel often, even in battle. He knew his father would not approve of feeling something that had no cause and tried to suppress it.

Hoping that the stopping point he had been racing to get to would soon come over the horizon, Toku broke eye contact with his brother, glaring in front of him as if to command that their destination come to them rather than the other way around.

Genbu felt very odd holding a dead body. The spark of life was gone from her skin and now no longer held the olive tone he had earlier admired but was turning a strange red color, unlike the blue tone that tinted human skin when their blood coagulated post-mortem. The scent of brimstone now laced her sweeter smell, which was quickly fading, and even her hair seemed to be bleeding. It was slowly turning white from the tips to the roots, as if her body were pulling in the red color. He watched it for quite a while, half-wondering if her irises were also turning white. Even the demon markings, barely visible on her neck from underneath the large haori, were paling.

It somehow reminded him of his mother and the day she died. Genbu's head jerked upward in sudden thought, and his mind worked furiously.

_That army..._

Genbu whipped his head over to his brother, about to relate his revelation, but didn't have the chance as Ikkatsu cried out in anguish.

"No! _Tenraaaiii!_" Ikkatsu had just woken up, but her sister's paling hair was a dead giveaway. She covered her mouth with her hands, and the tears streaming down her face evaporated off her skin seconds after leaving her eyes. Toku set his hand on her shoulder and said in a calm voice,

"We will bury her when we land tonight, unless you would rather take her home." Genbu moved his phoenix closer to them. Ikkatsu shook her head, needing a few seconds to get control of her sobs.

"W-we won't n-need to," she managed to get out, still lending her watery gaze to Tenrai's limp features. "Her b-body will return to f-flames in a few m-minutes." Genbu looked down at Tenrai's body in wonder, imagining the immense power housed within her body, released only in death or upon her own will.

"There it is," Toku suddenly rushed out, pointing ahead of them to a ravine that cut through the land. There were many caves along the inside walls, which was fortunate, especially since the sun was merely a few minutes from setting completely. Toku and Genbu steered the phoenix demons closer to the ground until they were skimming the treetops, and abruptly sunk down, entering the ravine and quickly descending to the bottom. Genbu noticed that Tenrai's hair was almost white at this point, and looked around for somewhere to place her body. Seeing a few flat rocks near the middle of the ravine, he climbed down from the phoenix. He could hear the its caws and the sound of its tail swishing behind him as he navigated the rocky terrain with Tenrai in his arms.

His ears picked up the sound of Ikkatsu limping along behind him, trying to catch up. Arriving at the rocks, he laid her body down as gently as he could. A wave of heat rose from her body as he leaned back and he retreated a few steps, watching smoke rise from the folds in her clothing. Ikkatsu stood next to him, one hand over her mouth as she watched her younger sister begin to burn away. Genbu looked down at his red haori, seeing the dried stains of blood on his shirt. A flash of light made him look up again. Tenrai's body was suddenly engulfed with flames, burning a harsh, scalding red. Ikkatsu openly wept, her shoulders shaking.

"May her soul rest in peace," Genbu said, watching as her body very quickly disintegrated, not even leaving ash behind as a trace that she once lived. Ikkatsu suddenly turned away, limping back towards the phoenix demons as if she couldn't stand to watch anymore. Toku closely followed her, leaving Genbu to watch the last of Tenrai's body disappear in a cloud of smoke. He felt his demonic blood fading away as well, and once again was reminded of his mother while the monthly fear of vulnerability also returned to him. Turning abruptly as his earlier thought struck him again, he quickly walked back, finding the cave that Toku and he had once shared before with several of their closest followers. The phoenix demons were huddled close against the wall and against each other, already snoring. Inside, Toku had placed a few blankets on the hard rock floor of the cave, and Ikkatsu sat on one of them, holding a small cloth to her eyes. Genbu motioned to Toku, and the elder brother stepped outside, noticing that Genbu's hair was now as black as their mother's.

"I've been thinking about that army back there," Genbu began, his voice low. He wasn't sure if fire demons had as good a sense of hearing as his own family, and so spoke in a whisper. Toku nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"Do you remember what mother said last night at dinner? About where she used to live? She was the servant of a lord near the border between father's land and the northern land. Then big brother Tai-chan said later that she was almost attacked by the lord's son when father came to get her. Do you remember what father did with the animal blood?" Genbu gave him a hard look and it suddenly dawned on Toku.

"That army...it's the army of mother's former master! The son must have been killed, and they're going to revolt against the northern lords, demon and human alike!" Toku said, a violent whisper. Normally, this would have only helped their cause, but it had come too late, and now they would be fighting the army, which obviously now had its own supply of modern weaponry. In reverence to their mother, and to their own heritage, none of the children killed humans unless they had no other choice, but... "But Genbu, that lord did not have a large army. He'll be crushed by the weakest of the northern human clans."

"In the morning, I plan to intercept the army and find out their intentions." Genbu spoke with a hard voice, and by his tone, Toku knew that he wouldn't convince him to stay with them, but merely nodded. Genbu fisted his hands, wondering how much messier things could get.

"Speaking of intentions..." Toku said, looking back at Ikkatsu. She was staring at the back of her hand, no longer crying but looking rather tired. Genbu nodded at him, and both entered the cave, prepared to ask some questions.

_-The Weeping Forest-_

Eventually, the horse could no longer see well enough to continue on, and Sesshoumaru was forced to dismount in order to lead the horse a bit off the trail towards an area with less underbrush, though the trees still crowded in around them. Rin walked on the other side of the horse's head, clutching its bridle in anxiety. Once they stopped, the horse was tied to a nearby tree, and she watched as Sesshoumaru walked to a clear spot on the ground. He unsheathed one of his swords, the blade singing in the still forest air, but she could not recognize which one it was. He lifted it above his head, with the blade pointed downwards, and she heard a rush of air leave his lungs as he plunged it down to the ground, burying about six inches of it in the soft forest floor. Immediately, a gray-colored globe blew out from the center of the sword, expanding like a giant bubble until it passed through Rin, the horse, and several of the surrounding trees.

She gasped in surprise, feeling the awful presence forced away from her. The horse whinnied in reaction but otherwise did not move. Jogging to her master, she looked at the sword now implanted in the ground, and sent a questioning look to him.

"What was that, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked, curling her fingers into the cloth of his sleeve.

"Tenseiga. It will protect you tonight." He left the sword where it was, walking to a nearby tree, which sat only five feet away. In truth, the use of the sword as a barrier was unnecessary since he was perfectly capable of protecting her, but the entity possessing the forest would keep her awake that night, and she would sleep easier if it could not come so close.

Rin followed, wanting to be near him rather than near the sword, and waited as he lifted his bulky armor over his head, letting it hit the ground with a soft thud. He took a seat in front of the tree, and she sunk down onto his lap, settling as close to him as she could.

"Can we be on our way at first light, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin softly asked as she set her cheek against his chest. She knew that the spirit possessing this forest was only a few yards from where she sat, having been pushed away, but once his arms came around her shoulders, pulling the fur pelt over her body to keep her warm, she felt her body relax, and no longer feared whatever it was that haunted the Weeping Forest.

_Something about him always makes me feel completely safe..._

"Of course, my love," he answered. Rin, not yet tired, thought of the day's events as she relaxed in her master's lap. The conversation she had held with him that morning, the good-byes to her sons, and the crow demon attack that had occurred. So many things seemed to be going on, and she didn't understand any of it.

_Why is Karran in the south? Will Tai-chan make amends with Kiri-chan? Why are crow demons spying on us and even attacking us in broad daylight? Has Inuyasha-sama found his mate and is Kagome-san still alive? Is the Shikon no Tama still intact and untainted? What exactly is going to happen during the ceremony?_

Rin's head buzzed unpleasantly with worry and confusion after a while, and she tried to think of happier things: Okashi, the housekeeper, memories of her children, and most importantly, Sesshoumaru. She felt a grin come to her face as she thought of the erection he had been fighting practically the entire day. That he still desired her after so many years was really breathtaking. The arousal did eventually go away after about half an hour into the Weeping Forest. She wondered, though...

_I am not tired yet and...it wouldn't be a waste of time. We can't go anywhere, anyway._

Her heart fluttered with excitement and a blush rose to her cheeks. _Sesshoumaru-sama can probably tell that I'm nervous. He'll make one of his dry remarks that makes my heart skip a beat and makes me angry with him at the same time and then I'll have lost the element of surprise._

She was wrong, however, because his mind was on other things for the moment. When he said nothing, she took it to be a rare chance and leapt upon it. She pictured her position in her head for a bit, hoping that she could accomplish her goal with as much surprise as possible.

Adjusting her elbow as if only seeking her own comfort, she managed to move her left arm out of the way, and waited for a few more seconds. Her cheek already knew where the fold in his haori was, and she lifted her hand, moving quickly but smoothly. Touching the area in his hakama that she knew covered his manhood, she cupped her hand over it, rubbing gently.

Sesshoumaru had been thinking of what to do about the crow demons and the annoying pest that was currently making trouble for them in the forest, even if it was holding off any more crows for the time being, which was the only reason why he didn't kill the malevolent spirit now. However, a small, warm hand found the limb that had been the most annoying of all that day, and his mind immediately dropped all other concerns just as quickly as his heart leapt into his throat. His back stiffened, and something else began to stiffen as well...

"_Mmf_...Rin, you are not ready for mating tonight...did you forget?" he asked, his voice slightly affected. Her lips found the gap in his shirt and nuzzled it open as she glazed kisses onto his chest.

"I can still pleasure you, master. Your hunger is powerful. I am only seeking to fulfill it," she easily answered. Feeling frisky, she wondered where the words came from, and surmised that they must be the result of her past life's experiences in dealing with her husband's rutting instincts. Most of the time in her first life, she was trying to divert his attentions, especially when he had been very active with her of late and was tiring her out, but other times, when the children needed much more attention, and she had to give some of her time and energy to them, Sesshoumaru would tell her to simply go to sleep at night rather than exhaust her even more. However, she had always found that she fell asleep faster if he made love to her first, and had learned many ways of convincing him...

Moving her hand a little more suggestively and rubbing harder, she began to move her body downwards, and her head eventually disappeared underneath the fur pelt.

"Rin, you need your rest for now since...since you are still recovering," he said, faltering only once as her hand pulled at the ties to his hakama. He wanted to save his seed until he could implant it in her properly the next night when she would hopefully be feeling up to it. He wanted to be assured that a child would grow inside her belly the next time they made love.

"This does not take too much effort on my part, Sesshoumaru-sama. Just enjoy it," she said, her voice muffled and barely audible to the human ear. He heard it just fine, though, and gritted his teeth as his arousal stiffened warm grip of his mate, who was trying to gently release him. He looked down and could only see the fur pelt. Beyond it, he could see her from the knee down, sitting on her hip between his feet. Finding her shoulders beneath the fur pelt, he tried to gently pull her away from him.

"I...I wish to wait until we can make love together," he panted out, trying to find her wrist without scratching her since that hand was now pumping over his swelling length. Once he managed to grab her hand, he had already become fully erect, and he cursed himself for being so easily manipulated. She didn't seem to listen to him, though, wanting her own way, and smoothly slid half of his arousal into her mouth, no longer needing her hands.

"Aaah!" he choked out, trying to pull her up. His efforts were extremely half-hearted, though, and he felt his control slipping as his head leaned back against the tree trunk. Releasing her wrist and bracing his hand on the ground, his other hand found the back of her head, riding it as she expertly licked and sucked every sensitive surface.

"Ah, _Rin_," he harshly sighed, closing his eyes to the dark forest canopy above them. He wondered again how she could feel so safe with him after all the times when her life had been in danger...and especially considering the fear she had shown up until they had stopped.

Rin kept one hand around the base of his phallus while the other was flat against his abdomen, keeping track of his heartbeat. He was reaching his peak quickly, having been teased virtually all day. Rubbing the flat of her tongue over the tip of his engorged length, she listened to the choked gasps he made. His stomach muscles shuddered every time she took him between her lips or put pressure on the end of his erection, and his ragged breathing only encouraged her.

"It's been too long," he ground out, using his other hand to brace his weight as he gently pumped his pelvis upwards. "_Mmmff!_" Sesshoumaru thought of the few times when he had been alone over the past sixteen years. Those times when Jaken was off delivering a message to one of his offspring, and his eldest son was patrolling his area of the Western Lands' border, he would be alone in the mansion where he had spent so many years with his mate. He would miss her so much, and wander about the house, recalling memories of her in the different rooms. He had also yearned to once again make love to her, to at least hold her, but firmly denied himself the opportunities to fulfill his need with other females, and a couple _had_ offered themselves. Instead, he used the times when he was alone at night to find an old kimono of hers that still held her scent, and think of her as he pleasured himself with his own hands.

Most of all, he missed the faint feeling that her connection gave him. For those sixteen years, their connection was strong but void of the sensation that her end always sent to him—undying love. Having her love filtered into his body made him more content than he had ever imagined.

"Rin..._uhhhnn_...remove your hakama," he roughly uttered, pulling the fur pelt down far enough to see her waist. She lifted her head in confusion, directing her gaze to where she believed his eyes were. Her hand still held his arousal, and absent-mindedly stroked down the hard length.

"Why?" she simply asked, at least rising to her knees.

"Just do it," he said, a little louder. He firmly grasped her wrist, pulling her hand away from him, but it was too late. Growling, he felt one spurt of seed leave his phallus and gritted his teeth as he forced himself to stop, at least for a few more seconds. Rin, not sure what he was planning since they had decided not to make love at least for another day, pulled at the belt of her hakama, jerking it free of the knot. Sesshoumaru felt another shot of seed burst forth, and clenched his jaw, grunting. He couldn't wait for her much longer and shoved her hakama down to her knees. Then pulling her over his lap with one hand behind each thigh, which pushed the hakama down her shins as her legs opened, he felt her hands clasp onto his shoulders.

"W-what is it, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked, confused. He didn't say anything, though, in an attempt to contain himself. She felt the throbbing tip of his phallus brush the entrance to her body, and clutched his shoulders. "Why?" she whispered, not understanding his sudden desire to empty into her womb when previously, her mouth had been enough. He shoved his arousal as deep into his mate as he could, holding her soft curves in his hands to secure the connection. Rin loudly gasped, not from pain but from the surprise of his sudden invasion. The tender skin inside her womanhood only mildly protested the friction of penetration, and she was thankful that her body would soon be back to normal. "_Sesshoumaru..._" She felt a hot liquid shooting inside her and laid her head on his shoulder, listening to his satisfied moans, which sounded loud in the forest since it was so unnaturally quiet.

The hands on her hips flexed, and she felt him shift underneath her, his back arching. He seemed to be stopping, and the obvious question was forming in her head.

"Why did you...?" she began, not needing to finish the question.

"Sorry," he said instead, ignoring her question for the time being. "I...didn't give you any pleasure and only took my own."

"That was my intention, master," she replied, speaking softly into his demon ear.

"I wouldn't be a proper husband if I let you get away with that," he sighed, turning his head and kissing the soft skin on her neck. She sighed, squeezing his shoulders and waiting for him to make the point that she knew was coming.

His left hand rose and held her shoulder, clamping her against his chest. The other hand ventured beneath her haori, rising up between her shoulder blades and finding the top of her spine, which stiffened.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, you're not going to..." she started, but was unable to finish her question. He petted the top of her spine, sending little flecks of sensation to the core of her womanhood. Her thighs tightened against his hips, and she shakily sighed.

"The scars are certainly convenient, Rin," he began, making his strokes on her back longer. "I love performing this service for you where it smells of your divine essence, but having you climax while still buried inside you appeals for some reason. Petting here..." he demonstrated, stroking two fingers halfway down her back, "...is the same as licking that little jewel hidden between your thighs."

"_Hhmmmff!_ Sesshoumaru..." she groaned, digging her fingers into his shoulders. She wanted to say that the difference between the two methods was that the scars on her back worked ten times as fast, but could barely speak more than a couple words at a time.

"You smell so good," he groaned, feeling another gush of seed empty from his body. He made his strokes longer, using more fingers, and only had to wait about fifteen seconds before his mate stiffened against him, breathily moaning in rapid crescendo.

"Unhhh! _...Sesshoumaru! I'm...I'm coming!_" Jerking repeatedly against him, she sighed heavily. "_Yes..._" Changing the grip she held on his shoulders, she arched her chest into him, which pushed her body down against his pelvis. "Ohhh..." A few drops of pleasure seeped from her body and only after one last shot of semen did his arousal begin to soften inside her. She slowly relaxed against him, feeling his arms come around her.

"Why?" she asked again, much more groggily this time.

"I wish to give you another child," he admitted, stroking her hair. She didn't say anything in response for a few seconds, but eventually held him closer, kissing the side of his neck.

"Just in case, let's try again tomorrow night," she whispered. "I, too, wish to have a child with you, Sesshoumaru-sama." She could almost _feel_ his smile, and was tempted to kiss him just to check.

After perhaps a minute passed by, they finally settled in for the night, replacing their clothing and adjusting their positions. Rin fell asleep almost immediately. With her brow pressed to the crook in his neck and her arms around his waist, her soft breathing was all he could hear that night.

But, of course, he could also feel her love spilling over into him, and wished to never lose it again.

_-Midnight in the Western Woods-_

Inutaisho took a long sniff, making sure he was on the right path. He had been traveling fast the entire day, sprinting across the open fields, jumping through the trees, and leaping over rivers. It had been over a month since he had last visited this area, and things smelled a bit differently. The leaves had decayed away and now a fresher scent of renewed vegetation was in the air. The moon was very bright that night even though it was only half-full, and the stars blinked at him from their high perch. He only hoped that Genbu was okay, and that Yokiri didn't kill him for ignoring her for so long. He no longer worried for his mother, though. She could do anything—he was sure of it.

Running forward, he caught a familiar scent, and chased after it, nearing the place where he and his love used to meet. He remembered the day they met so clearly, and it was at the same exact spot, almost a year ago.

_-Flashback-_

Determined to do his duty well, Inutaisho prowled through his section of the border, constantly on guard and ready to take on any enemy. They would be finding his mother again soon and he wanted to be able to say to her that he had been doing well. After two days, nothing more than a few animals had crossed his path, all fleeing from him. He was halfway angered by it, wondering if he would ever find an enemy to shoo away from their lands. Coming across a very hilly area, covered with trees and thick brush, he found the familiar path and began to travel along it, sniffing every once in a while for something out of the ordinary. There were waterfalls, ponds, and streams all along this area, so his hearing did not help as much since the sound of running water was always in the distance, and he had to rely on his sense of smell. Halfway through the forest, probably close to the sun's zenith, a scent drifted past his nose, faint and very unique. He knew it was an odd type of _youki_, and immediately set out to find the source.

Hopping along the tree branches, he realized that he was coming closer to what had to be a waterfall. His claws scratched the bark as he went, though he tried not to let his scabbard hit the branches. The scent became stronger as well, and he grudgingly admitted to himself that it was a pleasant smell. Finally coming to the last tree, he blinked a couple times, letting his eyes adjust to the brightness. He saw a small but deep pond into which a waterfall emptied. The sunlight glinted off of the water and made the entire area light up. There were rocks all along the edge, but barely any visible ones in the pond itself. It really was a beautiful scene—very serene—but his mind was entirely bent upon finding the identity of the intruder. Looking at the shoreline, he saw a pile of clothing and the glint of some sort of metallic weapon half-hidden beneath the clothes. His eyes searched for the owner of the clothing.

A movement behind the waterfall caught his attention, and he realized that the trespassing demon must be back there. Keeping one hand braced against the trunk, he fisted his hand around the hilt of his sword, which he had been training with since his teens—a sword crafted from not only his father's fang but also his uncle's fang. It had taken two years to master, but it was extremely powerful, and even Toutousai warned him several times to be careful with it. He had used it before in battle, but never by himself. His father, uncle, or younger brothers had always been there. He didn't exactly relish using it now, always preferring to keep territory fights from getting out of hand, but the need to prove his worth to his father overrode that inhibition today. Waiting for the demon to emerge from behind the waterfall, he silently watched the small movements, his heart speeding up.

What came into view nearly made him fall off of the tree.

A female in human form, she was breathtaking. Her skin was pale, dotted with brown freckles, and his eyes were immediately drawn to her bare chest despite his best intentions. However, a movement behind her distracted him from the luscious display below her elegant neck. Wings, like that of a swan or a dove, unfolded, but they looked almost ethereal, as if they were only a ghostly image of real wings. They weren't completely opaque, but he could see through them. She stretched her arms, which made her wings stretch, too, and his eyes once again were inevitably drawn to her breasts. Walking a little further along the shoreline towards what had to be her own clothing, she reached back to wring some of the water out of her hair, which was as white as his own and draped down between her wings to the middle of her back. He could see a few feathers in her hair as well, sporadically spaced, but what he really wanted to see was the color of her eyes. However, if he did see her eyes, she would undoubtedly see his, and his peeping would be at an end.

She was the most beautiful thing he had seen in his life.

He watched her dress, using a plain piece of white cloth to dry herself as she stood on a flat shore-side rock. He was a bit amazed when he saw that the cloth passed right through her wings as she dried her back, and wondered if anything could really touch them. Her clothing flowed onto her torso and down her limbs, off-white and laced with brown leather straps to keep it tied around her body. The dress had billowy sleeves that revealed one long line of flesh down her arms, and laced around the delicate limbs with the same leather straps. It fell down to her ankles, molding to the curves of her breasts, waist, and hips. Finally, she pulled on a hand-tooled leather belt that looked fairly expensive, and which held several loops. Looking down at the rock in front of her, he noticed the array of knives there, and a single katana that flowed with its own energy.

Bitterly acknowledging that he still had to perform his duty, he knew that killing this magnificent creature would forever be burned into his brain. Taking aim and leaping with all his might, he silently sailed through the air, drawing his sword as he went. It hissed as it left the sheath, and he landed directly in front of the demon, letting only a serious expression reveal itself on his face. She jumped back in surprise, gasping and nearly falling back into the water.

"Who are you?!" she incredulously asked, feeling unsafe since her weapons were on the rock between them rather than on her person. Looking him over, she saw the dog-ears that adorned his white hair, the clean armor he wore, and the powerful aura of the sword in his hand. His features were handsome but devoid of any extreme emotion. The random braids in his hair somehow distracted her, and she found herself not paying attention. It was only when he spoke that she realized the danger she was in.

"We are not aligned with demons of your nature, and you're in our territory," was all he said. His voice was pleasantly deep and rich, but she backed up a step, eyeing the sword on the ground that she wished was in her hand. Thinking to herself, she tried to remember exactly where she was. She had ventured only a few hundred meters into the Western lands, wanting to explore the area's waterfalls. The Western Lord carried two swords, but he only had one, and the Western Lord would not refer to his land as "ours," but "mine." He did have three sons, though...

"Are you a son of Sesshoumaru-sama?" she bravely asked, recovering the step that she had just given him. His expression did not change, though, which made her inwardly falter since she had been hoping that it would somehow make him react.

"Yes, but that is of no concern to you. What type of demon are you?" he asked, pointing his sword at her chest. He was still a couple feet from touching her, and deep inside his heart he wished to touch as much of her as he could. He wondered if he could get away with merely booting her off the land. He certainly did not want to kill her—it would be a crime to slay something so rarely enchanting, and her scent from this close was making his blood run fast. He might have convinced himself that bloodlust was the only reason for his fast-beating heart, but he knew better than to lie to himself.

"I am an owl demon, the daughter of Fukurou-sama in the East."

_That_ got a reaction out of him. He reared back a couple of steps, surprised that someone of her royal stature was out here alone.

"Which son are you?" she asked, coming closer. "I'm the eldest, and the only daughter in my family." She was also surprised to find the son of her father's western neighbor, and found herself immensely curious about him. He looked to be older than her, a bit mysterious and untouchable. Though her family and his were not in open war, neither side was friendly. Such was the way of the era in which they lived.

"I...I am the eldest of my siblings," he hesitantly responded, still holding his sword in front of him. His eyes betrayed him, though, and once again stared at the thinly veiled chest that he had earlier admired.

"I am Yokiri...what is your name?" she ventured, coming within six inches of the tip of his sword. Her eyes were earnest, and he realized that she was practically standing on her own weapons.

"It's Inutaisho...but if you wish to live any longer, Yokiri-san, then you had better leave, and take your things with you. My father ordered any non-allied demons to be slain if found within our boundaries—and that includes you." He took a small step forward, bringing the tip of his sword to within an inch of her throat. Her eyes widened a bit, and he took the few seconds that she used to stare at him to appreciate the rich purple of her irises—like embedded amethysts.

"But I wish to talk with you. I talk to hardly anyone other than my family...please...no one knows that I'm here, and you can pretend that you didn't see me. Can't we talk for a bit?" She saw his jaw clench, and wondered if he was mulling it over in his mind.

"I cannot trust you. Leave now," he ordered, pressing the tip of his sword to the dip in her throat. She slowly nodded, putting up her hands. He backed away several feet, watching her bend down to retrieve her weapons. She slid four daggers into loops on her right side and attached her katana to her left side. He knew that she would probably say something before leaving, and only waited for her to look at him. He set his most serious expression on his face, keeping his guard up as best as he could even though he wanted to get one last look at her chest. She regarded him with her jewel-like eyes, slowly placing her right hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Do not draw that sword, Yokiri-san," he warned, tightening the grip on his own sword. She slowly smirked, and widened her stance.

"You cannot trust me, you say?" she softly asked, now feeling challenged.

"Don't make me kill you," he growled, letting a touch of his concern get out. Her lop-sided smile widened to reveal her brilliant white teeth, and her hand deftly brought the sword out of the scabbard. He noticed that though the blade was straight, it was serrated on both edges, making a stab from it painful indeed. It held a faint green glow, most likely a poisonous _youki_, but he did not fear such poison. He was his father's son.

"As if you could..." she taunted, bringing her other hand around the hilt. She lunged at him, aiming to slice at his arm, but he easily dodged, coming around to smack her backside with the flat of his sword.

"Stop it!" he demanded, watching the anger on her face at having been so childishly punished for picking a fight.

"You're better than I thought," she admitted, circling around him. "Let me ask, though...what power does your sword hold that it emits such power? It's truly impressive," she complimented, nodding towards the blade in his hands. He gritted his teeth, but calmed himself down, not letting her get behind him.

"I could show you, rather than tell you," he threatened, making her smile. She stopped, now that his back was to the water.

"My sword only poisons, but that would have no effect on you, now would it? However, it's not my sword you should worry about," she hinted. He saw her eyes roll into the back of her head, and his mouth fell open as her entire body, except for her daggers and sword, became ethereal. It was as if her spirit stood there, eerily regarding him, but...she rather looked like a goddess.

"Impressive," he said, letting a little smile curve his lips.

_Here we go..._

She swiped her sword at him, but he blocked it with his own. He spun around, swinging at her body but realizing with dismay that it went right through her. They parried for a bit, the clangs of swords ringing clearly against the rocky walls around them. All he could do was dodge and block her blows, especially since he couldn't hit her. He realized that he could probably knock her sword away, but decided to give her a sporting chance. She lunged at him several times in a row, forcing him to back up, and then made strong, very controlled whacks at his chest, which he blocked, but which prevented him from moving forward.

Both were smiling, though hers was an opaque shadow of the smile he had earlier seen, and he could hear her ragged breathing easily. _She's tiring herself out._ Her swordplay reminded him of Toku's method, clean and fast but not with as much strength as Genbu's deadly style. She lunged at him again and again, and he backed up more, wondering how long it would be until she quit from exhaustion. Another lunge, and he stepped back once again, only to realize that there was no more ground beneath him. Tripping backwards, he fell into the pond. He heard the splash as he hit the water, and a trickling laugh once he was under.

_How embarrassing..._

Now knowing what she had been about, he had to applaud her strategy. As he sputtered to the surface, standing waist deep in water, he flipped his hair out of his eyes, only to see a green-tinted sword pointed as his neck. She had come out of her ethereal state, and looked smugly triumphant.

"Out of the water," she ordered, lightly motioning with her sword.

"But—" he began, wanting to retrieve his sword, but realizing that he had no right to ask for that chance.

"Your sword is fine right where it is," she said, motioning again with her sword. He climbed out, dripping wet, and stood a few feet from the bank.

"The armor—take it off," she said, looking happy about the change in circumstances.

"The hell?" he said, looking at her incredulously.

"I like it and want to take it home, but I certainly don't want to get any blood on it," she explained, hardening her expression. "But maybe I won't kill you if you do as I ask."

"Fine," he spat, unlatching a few ties and dragging the armor over his head. He tossed it to the ground. He knew he could get away easily...her movements weren't fast enough to wound him in the slightest...but he didn't want to get away. She was on his father's land, and he _would_ get rid of her.

He saw her look him over, and wondered what the hell she was thinking now.

"On your knees, now," she said, coming a few steps closer. He did as she said, warily watching her sword. Her cheeks blushed as he watched her. "Close your eyes."

"Hell no." He saw her hand tighten.

"If you do as I ask..." she threatened, swinging the sword-point close to him, "maybe I won't kill you."

"As if you could..." he replied, throwing her words back at her. She seemed to concede that to him, and stepped back once, stabbing the sword into the ground. Stepping forward again, she repeated her command.

Opening his senses as wide as he could: his hearing, his sense of smell, and even his touch sensitivity to test the breeze, he closed his eyes, waiting to hear her step back and grab the sword. He did hear her take a step forward, and felt the sunshine over his eyes blocked by her shadow, but she made no other move. _What the hell is she doing?_

He flinched as two soft lips brushed his own, and his heart leapt into throat when he finally realized what she had been planning. _She's kissing me..._ Her hands fluttered down to his shoulders, and her lips pressed against him more urgently. Tilting his head back and opening his mouth, he let the kiss deepen. She made a small noise, letting his tongue slide wetly into her mouth. Reaching up, his hands found her waist, and she slowly dropped to her knees. Becoming the one being kissed, she twined her arms around his neck, pressing close even though he was getting the front of her dress wet.

Unable to help himself, his hands found the globes of her rear end and held on, pulling her against him as his body naturally responded to such an enticing female. She widened the stance of her knees and let him pull her into a noticeable bulge in his clothing. Her mother had told her...in undeniably clinical detail...how mating occurred. What her mother had not warned her of, though, was how strong desire could be. The moment that this Inutaisho of the Western Lands dropped down in front of her, practically exuding masculinity, she felt her thighs shake with desire. It was strange, though, because half of the flutter in her heart was not lust, but rather, some other soul-shaking emotion that she had little experience with.

The hands on her hind end tightened a bit, and the tips of her breasts felt extremely sensitive.

_Why did I do this? I wanted to—needed to so badly, and yet I don't even know him. I'm not even allied with him. Why then am I kissing him?_

Not realizing it until she was halfway down, Yokiri felt her shoulders gently meet the damp, grassy ground. The sun did not bother her closed eyes since his shadow now blocked it, and the sound of the waterfall blocked the noise of any birds or of the breeze flowing through the trees. He slid one of his legs between hers, butting his thigh against a warm spot in her lower abdomen, and the smell of his wet hair filled her nostrils.

In the back of her mind, a stern voice reminded her of her duties, reprimanding her for forgetting them. She tried to block them, to let the strong, handsome dog demon above her do what he wanted, but something in her also wanted to stop. She didn't want this to be some first-time fling, a short-lived lust.

Pushing at his shoulders, she wondered if he would even stop, but surprisingly enough, he gently ended the kiss, bringing his face away a few inches. She opened her eyes to look up at him, and gazed at his unmasked face for the first time, finding it even more handsome than the serious expression that first drew her in.

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" he asked her, keeping his voice at a whisper. He licked his lips, searching the amethyst gaze directed at him, and in the back of his mind remembered a conversation with his mother when he was still young—she had told him of how she had fallen in love with his father when she first saw him as a child, many years ago. It was love at first sight, she had said.

"I do now," Yokiri answered. A laughing smile creased her lips then, and she added, "I only wonder if you trust me now."

"We can work on that," he replied, looking down at her full set of lips. "Just let me kiss you again...at least a kiss," he amended, seeing the rejection in her eyes. "The rest can come once our parents approve. Fair enough?"

She smirked, tightening her legs around the one tucked between them.

"Fair enough."

_-End Flashback-_

_I've been such a coward...fearing her father is nothing next to being without her._

Inutaisho ran faster, hoping that she was still waiting for him. They met every ten days after that first encounter, always meeting up at the waterfall, and usually staying there to watch the moon travel through the sky. They had spoken at great lengths about their families, their upbringing, and what was expected of them as the eldest. Yokiri was rather amazed by his mother, and wished to meet her as soon as she was once again found. But both had fathers that were stubborn, and the two ill-fated lovers doubted that a happy ending was in store for them.

Now, if he had calculated correctly, their next meeting was for that night. He didn't know if she would be there since he had skipped their last two meetings. He hoped, though, that she might still have faith that he would return—and that she had managed to be there in the first place, especially considering the close watch her father had promised to keep on her after they had been discovered.

Hearing the waterfall ahead, his heart picked up as her scent grew stronger. _She's there, I know it._Jumping up to the tree branches, he found them to be a faster route since the undergrowth was so thick in that area. Leaping from one to the next, he saw the break in the trees ahead, and suddenly wanted to put his arms around her more than anything else in the world.

Halting abruptly, he searched the grassy area around the waterfall for his soon-to-be-mate, and his heart skipped a beat the second he found her, wetting her feet in the water and looking dreadfully depressed. Her hair dripped down over one shoulder, glistening softly in the moonlight, which lit up the entire area. Her shoulders were slumped, and a sad frown marred her features. She looked timeless and lonely, but he would never make her that sad again. Leaping down to the grass of the tiny valley, he watched as Yokiri jumped in surprise and looked over to him expectantly. Her face lit up, and her frown turned upwards into a delighted smile.

"Inutaisho!" she half-squeaked, scrambling to her feet and running at him. He felt his heart warm from the inside, and held his arms open as a smile lifted his lips.

She looked just as he remembered. Her dress was light blue that day, tied shut with tan leather straps. Her feet, as always unadorned, flew over the grass as if barely touching it. Silky white hair bounced as she ran, as well as the chest that he so loved, and her ethereal wings fanned out behind her, mimicking her arms as she jumped into his embrace.

Catching her and spinning her around in his happiness, Inutaisho silently praised his mother's existence._Mother always did give the best advice._


	16. Chapter 16

_-A Quarter-mile from the Eastern Border-_

By the light of the half-moon above, Inutaisho spun Yokiri around, gripping her close to him and enjoying the fleeting kisses she left all over his face. He could hear the flutter her heart and feel the warmth of her skin through the flimsy dress she wore. He could not deny the immense happiness singing through his blood and all his petty concerns fled to the distant recesses of his mind.

Purposefully tripping, he braced her fall as they landed on the ground. She screamed and giggled at the same time, huffing as the air was knocked out of her lungs.

"I knew you'd come! I wished so hard for it!" she breathlessly declared, pulling herself up his body and pressing close as she tucked her face to the bend in his neck. He felt the dampness from her happy tears on his skin, as well as the dampness of the cool grass under his back, and curved his arms around her, holding her soft curves against him.

"Sorry, Yokiri," he apologized, tightening his arms. Slipping one leg between hers and bracing the heel of his boot in the soft grass beneath them, he let the silence of their happy reunion reign for a few moments. Holding her in his arms as if they were in a home and settling down for the night as husband and wife, he looked up to the sky, smeared with high, wispy clouds. The partial moon did a good job of piercing the thin layer of clouds. A couple of stars blinked at him from holes and thin spots, and the ever-flowing waterfall in front of them seemed strangely quiet that night. He felt very content.

It was the moment that he realized that he _would_ claim Yokiri as his wife, even if he had to kidnap her and defy his own father's wishes.

"What kept you, Inutaisho?" she quietly asked, not knowing how amusing that question suddenly was to the half-demon she now lay upon. He could feel her hand brushing the front of his haori and her chest moving in and out as she breathed.

"If I asked you to, would you...would you leave your family?" he hesitantly asked, knowing how much she loved her younger brothers. It was no secret that she held little regard for her parents, who had been mated to each other without their own consent-an arranged match by her grandfather and a neighboring owl clan. Hearing how much he respected his own parents, Yokiri had expressed that she wanted to meet them someday. As the eldest, though, even though she was female, she had duties to her family...

"It would depend," she eventually replied, her answer deliberately vague. Brushing his fingers over her sides, he pondered this statement.

"Depend on what?" he asked a few seconds later, enjoying the weight and warmth of her body.

"On why you wanted me to leave them." Both were treading thin ice here, weighing their words carefully and yet relishing the romantic, if anxious, tension. He wondered if she was blushing.

"Will you bless me with happiness for the rest of my life and bind yourself to me as my mate?" he rushed out in one breath. He heard an excited muffled squeal against his neck right before her head lifted up.

"Really?! Oh, yes! Yes, I will! I will, I will!" she squeaked out, utterly giddy. With her feathered hair framing her face, her smile was infectious. She looked down at his grinning, devilishly handsome visage, and with the toss of her head, throwing her mane of hair to one side, she leaned down to his firm lips, sharing a happy kiss with him.

He took it to be more than that, though, and held her closer, intending on taking their kiss much further. Sliding his hand to the back of her head and arching both his neck and back, he deepened the kiss and subtly swiveled his pelvis. It rubbed his leg against the juncture of her thighs, earning him a soft, feminine moan that was mostly lost in their kiss. His hand traveled down her back, smoothing the wrinkles in her thin, light blue dress, before finding the firm rear end that he always loved to admire whenever it was presented to him. Gyrating his hips now, his hand pressed her into his body at the right moment, and he felt his heartbeat quicken when he realized that she was responding with the same movement, which rubbed against his already swelling manhood.

"Yokiri..." he whispered, his voice unnaturally low as the demon part of his blood began to react more quickly than the human part. Her pores were exuding a scent that practically shouted for him to take her, mate with her and forever mark her as his own. Wrapping his other arm around her ribs and pressing his hand more insistently against her backside, he tried to slow down, but his hips wanted to buck himself into a warm, tight place and empty his love into her body.

All too soon, he felt her hands pushing upon his shoulders. He didn't want to let go, but loosened his hold enough for her to break free of his seeking mouth. She gasped for air, baring her neck to his eyes, and he stringed kisses along the sleek column as if creating a pearl necklace. Feeling her shudder against him, he tightened his hold, willing her with his body to let him do what they both wanted...

"Inutaisho," she groaned out, giving in for a second and rubbing her hips over the leg thrust between them. "I can't...not here." His lips continued to nibble the skin on her neck as if he hadn't heard her, but his lower half stopped.

"Where then?" he gruffly queried, willing to do anything to have her the way his body was meant to.

"Not now, either. Please," she softly begged, unable to remember a time when she wanted him more. The desire that he evoked in her was working full force and it was by sheer dint of will that she didn't simply hike up her dress and let him roll her beneath him.

He let his neck relax and dropped his head back to the ground, lowering his leg and hoping that his other limb would go down soon. The rigidity in her back slackened and she sunk onto him, setting her forehead against his.

"Yokiri," he quietly said, and he couldn't keep the frustration out of his tone.

"I know...I know!" she said, an apologetic tone in her voice. Lifting her head a few inches, she looked down at his face, noticing the darker tones along his cheekbones.

"When can you leave?" he asked. Deciding to avoid a fight, he turned the subject to a slightly happier topic. She was silent for a minute or so, pondering the timing.

"I need to get a few personal belongings and wait until my father has left again. Then I'll be able to slip by the guards at the gate. I believe he'll be visiting my aunt in five days to ask about a weapon that she came upon."

"Five days then? We'll meet back here?" he asked, looking into her eyes. Those shining amethyst irises gleamed back at him and he watched the happiness inside her surge to the surface.

"Yes, in five days, when the moon is at its zenith, I shall return and become your mate." Greatly tempted to taste his lips again, she looked to the side at a few blades of grass, forcing herself to think of other matters. Hearing a small chuckle and feeling it beneath her, she turned her face back again to look at him in confusion.

"And once I've brought you home, you'll finally let me beneath your dress?" he joked, earning him a rueful expression.

"Just because I'm saving myself until the marking night doesn't mean I'm avoiding-"

"You mean 'just because I'm a prude?'" he prodded, egging her on.

"I am _not_ a prude! I've been draped all over you for the past ten minutes!" she scoffed, lightly whapping his shoulder.

"You've been draped all over me for the past year and denied me every time I would have myself between these bewitching thighs of yours," he said, squeezing said body part with his hand.

"That certainly doesn't mean I'm a prude! Prudes wouldn't even let you kiss them, let alone fondle their womanly areas until forced to make you stop!"

"Ah, so you are a tease then. Giving a little taste every time we meet until I feel as if I have to relieve myself with my own hands," he crudely pointed out, teasing her with a buck of his hips. He watched her cheeks flame red and had to tighten his arms to keep her from getting up off of him.

"You're the horny one! Always putting your hands on my breasts or even trying to get them between...b-beneath my clothes!"

"I'm half-demon and male! What did you expect? And you've no right to call me overly 'horny' when I recall that it was you who bestowed the first kiss."

This quieted her and she sighed, relaxing her muscles again.

"Fine then. The night we reach your home, we can finally consummate our relationship," she conceded, feeling a rush of warm blood flood her cheeks.

"As many times as I want?" he asked, getting her face even redder. "...In as many ways as I want?" he added, his voice lowering as pictures entered his brain unbidden. Yokiri's eyes widened with surprise and she pushed upon his shoulders, finally sitting back upon her ankles and crossing her arms as she looked to the side, obviously scandalized. He rose upon his elbows, smiling at her.

_-The Northern Great Ravine-_

"Ikkatsu?" Toku gently called, getting her attention. Genbu, now chafing for the night to be over so that he could confront the ever-nearing army, sat a few feet away, watching as Toku knelt in front of the depressed fire demon. She raised her head, showing him her red-tinged eyelids and the streaks on her cheeks from her dried tears. Seeing a sympathetic face in front of her was very much appreciated, and she attempted a small, if remorseful, smile.

"How are you feeling?" he started off, taking it slow.

"Guilty," she replied, an obvious and yet confusing answer.

"Why guilty?"

"For being the one who survived?" she ventured, probably not too sure of her feelings herself. She reached up to wipe at her cheeks again, taking a deep breath. Since it reminded him, he looked down at her thigh, and noticed that the bleeding had stopped. Wondering if she was healed enough for him to remove the bandage, he reached forward, feeling along the wrappings and searching for edge. She held still, watching his hands gently removing the bandage. Once the last strip was carefully peeled away, he examined the wound, which was puckered closed and would soon smooth itself out, leaving behind no trace that it had ever been there at all.

"Looks like you'll be okay," he said, still looking at the wound and examining it for any abnormalities. Hearing her take a deep breath, he looked up, finding her averted eyes and a red hue on her cheeks. He had to force himself not to smirk.

"Why were you and your sister coming to see us?" he put forth, distracting her from her embarrassment. She skidded her glance over him, settling it on his brother for a brief second before lowering her eyes to her lap.

"My brother was killed and I was seeking your help to avenge him," she said, her voice dull and flat. It seemed that it was the only way for her to speak about it if she shut off her emotions.

"You have no other family to assist you? Uncles, cousins?" he asked, keeping his voice calm. _Why would she pick us?_

"My brother was the last of my male relatives. My sister...was the only family I had left. Now I need your help more than ever," she explained, her voice slowly becoming more fervent. "Right after my brother's death, we heard of your glorious overthrow of the Northern Lord and hoped that if we offered something as payment, you would right the wrong that was done to my brother!"

"Perhaps if we knew the circumstances of his death and of this 'payment', we could consider helping you," he hedged, not wanting to commit to anything. The last thing he needed was to get himself and his brother involved in some clan war. Seeing that they hadn't outright refused her, she pressed her case.

"My brother was very ambitious for our small family. We have an honorable ancestry, but no money or lands, so he went to seek lands, challenging territorial demons, but every piece of land he sought was supposedly 'unsuitable'. He visited the Western Lands, hoping to come along the great Sesshoumaru-sama and press suit for the hand of his daughter, if he had one," she explained, misinterpreting the surprised flinch that came over Toku's face. "You see, we didn't really know if he did have a daughter, or if he even had a mate. My brother left us at the border, saying he'd return within two days with word of what had happened. We saw the bright burst of flame from where we waited. We knew immediately that he had been killed," she muttered bitterly.

"Sesshoumaru killed my brother and I want to see him dead!" Toku chanced a glance at his brother, who had a very odd expression on his face. He looked as if he wanted to yell at her, but couldn't. Admittedly, he felt the same way.

"Ikkatsu, of all the people you might have sought out, we are the ones you should never have picked," he started carefully, watching at her reaction as she whipped her head up in worry.

"Why? Can't you help me?" she asked, leaning forward.

"We cannot kill our own father," he said slowly, letting it sink in. Her mouth slowly dropped open and she suddenly reeled back, scrambling to her feet. Gasping several times, as if her heart had stopped beating, she limped toward the cave exit, feeling sick and needing to find fresher air. Coming into the open, she put her hands on her knees, staring at the brightly lit rocky earth beneath her sandaled feet.

"She died for nothing," she tearfully whispered, shutting her eyes in agony. Feeling a terrible swelling ache rising in her throat, she let it out, facing the sky and screaming as loud as her lungs possibly could.

"She died for nothing! They both died for nothing!" she shrieked, pacing around the open area and sobbing out her grief. Toku and Genbu watched from the entryway, letting her have it out. She felt like tearing her hair out, like climbing to the top of the ravine and throwing herself back in.

She felt like killing someone.

Turning to the two brothers in a rage, she saw Genbu's jaw harden, but his brother stepped in front of him, protecting the now vulnerable sibling. She wanted him to know what it felt like to lose a family member. She wanted to slaughter his brother and then let him live life knowing that he couldn't protect him. She wanted to exact the revenge denied her brother and now possible for both him and Tenrai.

"I can defend myself, brother!" Genbu angrily spat, somehow insulted despite the fact that his mother had told him countless times to let his brothers and sister take care of him when it was his turn.

"Get inside," Toku said, his voice very calm. Growling in frustration, Genbu kicked the cave entrance as he turned to go inside, forcing himself to follow his mother's advice.

"You think you're any match for me?" she laughed, close to cracking. "I'll have you unconscious in a minute flat, and when you wake up, your brother's bones will be all that's left of him!" she threatened, fisting her hands. Toku felt a wave of heat hit him, but she showed no outward signs that anything was occurring within her body. Drawing his sword and concentrating, he picked the spots on her body that would incapacitate her, knowing that her anger would only cloud her mind and cost her the entire battle.

"Let me ask you a question," he said, picking the right words that would trigger her. She paused, a scowl on her face, and waited for him to continue. "If you had no money or lands, and wanted to offer us payment to kill our own father, with what were you going to pay us? Your bodies?" he asked, watching her face for his answer. Seeing the anger that passed over her face, as well as the flash of embarrassment, he knew that he was right.

"Die!"

_-The Weeping Forest, Morning-_

Waking suddenly as a dream of tripping tricked her mind into thinking that she actually was, Rin jerked awake, still lying upon her mate's chest. His hands held her closer, steadying her as she looked up to his hard-to-see face with sleepy eyes.

"The sun is half an hour from giving enough light to leave here, so you can sleep more if you wish." She glanced around the clearing quickly, taking stock of her surroundings and cleared her throat.

"Then I shall take the thirty minutes to get ready, Sesshoumaru-sama. We must keep going, right?" she softly asked, her voice still throaty. He nodded, swallowing as he looked down at the soft lips parted so deliciously. She didn't seem to notice the direction of his gaze and braced her feet on the ground, pulling on his shoulders to get to her feet. He watched her unsteadily walk to the horse and retrieve a few shreds of dried meat. Eating them quickly as she walked further into the trees, he could tell that she was making sure that she was still within Tenseiga's boundary and yet far enough from him to do her morning business. He gained his feet once she was out of sight, brushing dust off of his clothing and keeping his ears wide open. However, nothing amiss happened, and they were off again just as the sun was strong enough to dimly light the way. With Tenseiga back in its scabbard and his mate safely in his arms, now facing forward, they found the path again and picked their way along it, making faster progress as they neared the end of the forest, which slowly thinned out.

By the time the sun was once again setting itself, they had finally reached the great river separating the Weeping Forest and Inuyasha Forest, bridged by a large and solid-looking wooden structure. Crossing and finding a denser area of forest to camp for the night, their small party lit a fire for a bit of warmth and light. The horse was tethered a few meters away, and Rin had taken time to eat and bathe, shooing her mate away when he would have joined her there.

"The water is too cold for that!" she squeaked, flicking her wrist at him. He had an odd expression on his face-there was definitely longing, but also the to-be-expected disappointment, and what looked like thoughtfulness, as he turned away to return to the campsite. Once she was clean again, she briskly dried herself before pulling on her pink, over-sized haori and white hakama. Then toweling her hair and combing it once in a while to avoid a mass of tangles, she finished off by washing the taste of dinner out of her mouth.

Approaching the glow of the fire, which was tucked into a nook of trees to avoid attracting company, she felt a trickle of excitement gently surge from her stomach down to the juncture of her thighs. She knew what was going to happen soon. Though this night would be rationalized as being an attempt to bless their family with another child (despite the fact that they didn't have to rationalize it to themselves or to anyone else), inside her gut, she wasn't looking forward to conceiving a child...at least, not tonight. Instead, she was looking forward to feeling his arms around her and to feeling his surging hips against her.

_Before he came back into my life, I feared intimacy like the plague, but now, it's sometimes all I think about!_ Her cheeks flushed warmly as she within circle of light cast by the fire. Hher mate turned his head in her direction, directing his intense gaze at her. He smoothly stood up, dropping the bolt of fur from his shoulder onto a blanket near the fire.

"I would ask a favor of you, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said, coming closer to him and greatly enjoying his masculine presence. He inclined his head slightly, one eyebrow shooting up.

"Name it." Rin fiddled with the sleeves of her haori, feeling antsy and restless under his constant gaze.

"Tell me if I'm still fertile?" she asked, stepping close. He smirked at her, saying nothing and lowering himself to his haunches. Pressing his face gently to her soft stomach, he breathed in as he once again stood, his nose passing over her breasts and shoulder. Taking in the scent that wafted up from the warm pulse in her neck, he leaned back, looking down at her now anxious face.

"Very much so," he answered, setting his hands on her shoulders. They relaxed under his touch, and she gently nibbled on her lower lip, waiting for his next move. His hands tightened around her shoulders, and he took a deep breath, calming himself down somewhat. Smoothing his hands over her arms, he leaned down, watching the expectant look on her pert little face. She closed her eyes, and he fitted his lips to the soft, slightly parted mouth beneath. Shutting his own eyes, he reminded himself of the feel of her tongue, the taste of her mouth, all the while wondering why he could never figure her out. He had known her for decades and had been extremely intimate with her on countless occasions, searching for the secrets to her body. Yet, whenever he thought he knew all her secrets and later returned to her to exploit those secrets to their most pleasurable extent, it seemed as though her body was new to him, a new map to explore. She was forever changing and always exciting.

When he leaned away again, he realized that she was clinging to the front of his haori, heavily leaning against him and sighing happily. She somewhat shakily laughed, taking some of her weight off of him.

"I must be thoroughly addicted to your lovemaking, master, if my thighs are already shaking from one of your kisses," she joked, closer to the truth than she wanted to admit.

"Let's hope you can at least still stand on them," he responded, amusement visible around his eyes. "For I have a game in mind." This vague statement was enough to elicit a pleasurable shock of excitement in her deepest parts, and she waited with bated breath to hear what game he had concocted.

"You've played it before. Hide and Seek? I believe that's what you played with our children when they were young pups. I will be the seeker...you shall hide-"

"But master, that's not fair. You'd easily find me using only your nose!" she complained, despite the fact that being the one who would hide sounded like an awful lot of fun.

"You will receive a generous head start," he said, placating her. "If you hide, and I come seeking, but you return here without being caught, then you'll win."

"What will I win, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked, planting her hands on her hips. She wasn't about to play a game if there were no reward for defeating the Lord of the Western Lands at a simple child's game. In fact, it had better be a damned good reward.

"I shall spread myself upon that blanket behind us and let you do what you want," he offered, seeing the happy blush that colored her cheeks. She licked her lips, letting her arms drop and shifting to her other foot._That's certainly a delectable prize._

"And if you win? What if you catch me before I manage to return?" she asked, feeling that this was much more likely.

"I shall do with you what I want. Wherever I find you, I shall take you there on the ground," he growled, his voice deepening. _That's just as delectable, if not more so!_ No doubt the loud beating of her heart and the scent of her readiness gave her away, but she maintained as much calm as she could.

"Sounds like a win-win situation, Sesshoumaru-sama," she pointed out, lifting her chin a bit.

"All the best games are, love," he purred, his irises clouding over. She was amazed to see flecks of red shooting through those golden eyes and beat a hasty retreat, getting her head start as she bolted through the trees. Playing along with the rules of the game, he turned to the fire, closing his eyes and silently counting to one hundred in his head. As he neared the eighties, his loins began to stir. He wasn't sure which choice he wanted. He could either let her return safely and pretend that he hadn't been able to find her-or he could run her down and take her the way his demonic blood wanted him to. Choosing between letting her ride him to oblivion, or riding _her_ to oblivion...it was a tough decision, and imagining the two options got him hard in the time it took him to count to one hundred.

Once he reached that sacred number he pivoted completely around and sprinted through the trees, having made up his mind.

Rin quickly lost the light of the fire behind her, jumping logs and skirting bushes to avoid leaving too much of a trail. It was a bit futile since her scent gave her away, but she'd do anything to get an advantage. She had to admit that either outcome would suit her just fine, but she wanted to win and only hoped that if she left a lot of her scent in one area and then bolted to one side that she could double-back while he was searching the other part of the forest. Given only one hundred seconds, she ran fast, weaving through the trees to throw him off and then heading east for about ten seconds.

Crouching behind a tree, she waited for the sounds of him running through the underbrush, barely able to hear over her labored breathing. Eventually, her lungs caught up, and she was silent, keeping her ears wide open.

Very certain that she had kept accurate count in her head, she wondered what was taking so long, and almost gasped out loud when she finally heard him brush against some brush in the distance. Standing up slowly, she took off her sandals to avoid the sound of them flopping against the soles of her feet and set off through the forest, bounding through the trees on the balls of her feet. For a wonderful twenty seconds, she thought she had won, that she had successfully thwarted her pursuer and almost giggled with relief. Hearing a growl ten feet behind her, she screamed in surprise and pushed herself into a sprint, hoping to outrun him back to the fire. _If I could just reach the campsite, then I'll win!_ Not caring about her sandals she let them drop from her fingers, clenching her fists and pumping her legs in an attempt to run faster.

It was a hopeless attempt at best. She was still a good thirty feet from the campsite when he tackled her, taking some of the fall as they landed on their sides. She was stunned for a second or two, and then struggled against him, certain that she could still win if she got away and ran the rest of the way back. He merely tightened his arms and rolled her onto her stomach, following closely to let her have a couple of seconds to feel his rock-hard erection against her backside. She took a deep breath, and her back stiffened in reaction. Her heart was pounding, though not entirely from the running and the struggle, which she finally gave up now that he had her pinned on the ground. However much she wanted to win, she wanted _him_ a lot more, and she was definitely looking forward to what would happen next.

Holding her down with a hand against the back of her neck, he began to tug up the hem of her haori. She felt the soft, dry texture of the grass against her cheek and could smell its pungent aroma. Still huffing from exertion, she could feel where his knees were, one on either side of her hips. His left ankle was laying across the back of her left knee, immobilizing that leg, but he was sitting on both of her thighs, so moving was pretty much out of the question, anyway.

When he removed the haori from the waist of her hakama, exposing her back, she immediately knew what he was up to. Sliding his hand inside the shirt, he braced all five fingers at the top of her markings, and almost moaned in anticipation of the glorious scent she would soon produce in earnest. He heard air hiss in through her teeth, and every muscle in her body tensed, aware of his intentions.

"_Ohhh_, you're just _cruel!_" she whined, her heart flip-flopping in her ribcage as she waited for his hand to move. His fingers pressed hard and moved slowly, following the scars as closely as he could. She gasped loudly, crying out and crushing fistfuls of grass in her hands. Her thighs were shaking horribly and she felt a trickle of sexual fluid seep from her body. Her womanhood felt open and damp, and it throbbed between her legs.

"_Ah, God!_" she yelled, feeling like the strength from her body was being drained away and replaced with something warm, intense, and addictive. When he reached the small of her back, he lifted his hand and rose onto his knees, taking his weight off of her. Firmly grasping her right arm, he pulled her to the side, turning her over like a limp rag doll. Then sitting on her thighs again, he kept one hand on her shoulder and the other worked quickly at the ties to her hakama.

She felt leaden, weighed down by much more than just his body. She was exceedingly groggy, and warmth thudded through her body, strumming the strings of her sexuality. The grass cushioned the back of her head and the demon above her was lit just enough for her to see the expression on his face. She heard air sawing in and out of his lungs, and his hair stuck to the side of his face where perspiration was building up. Knowing that he wanted her just as much as she wanted him was enough to give her a full body shiver.

He finally unknotted the belt to her hakama and moved to kneel at her side. Holding a hand to her stomach, he quickly pulled them off with the other, revealing shapely legs and the apex where he had been yearning to delve himself for the entire day. Her sandals were lying elsewhere, dropped at some point, so all she had left to cover her was her haori and _tabi_. The shirt was slightly agape, still caught on the peaks of her breasts as she lustfully lolled on the ground. Seeing that she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, he brought his hands to his own hakama and pulled at the loops, jerking them free of the well-tied knots. Bringing her knees up and setting her feet on the soft grass, she took a shaky breath, watching as he freed the turgid length from his clothing. She felt a pleasurable tug upon the string linked to the juncture of her thighs, and once his hakama slipped down, she moaned in desire, wanting the limb jutting out at her to fill the emptiness in her body.

Crawling over her, he sat back upon his heels, sitting between her thighs and enjoying the sight she presented. She lifted her head briefly to watch him but the effort of doing so after having five fingers pass over her scars was too much. After a couple of seconds passed, she felt a hand on her knee, and heard his arm shift. He made a sort of growling sigh, and she lifted her head again. He was preparing himself, his head thrown back and his free hand pumping over the member extending from his pelvis. Watching for a couple of seconds as his hand slowly descended along the inside of her leg, she dropped her head again, inhaling through her nostrils when his expert fingers found the damp and warm place that ached so badly for him.

Her eyes shut of their own accord, and her stomach muscles jerked and convulsed involuntarily as his thumb gently rolled the jewel of her womanhood in small circles. A gentle but chill breeze eked through the trees, passing over her bare skin and creating goose bumps. Softly moaning with every breath, she brought her hands up to lie on either side of her head, hoping that the slight change of position would inspire him to move along faster. The only consolation he made, though, was to rub his thumb faster, and she gave one long, loud groan, impatiently moving her legs and smoothly arching her back. Feeling his other hand on the back of her left thigh, she lifted her head once more, moaning through her teeth and looking into his eyes.

His irises now softly glowed, nearly red. It was almost scary, but digging through her memories, she recalled times when his eyes had done the same before-times when he was extremely aroused. Now knowing the reason, she dropped her head again, lifting her feet and bringing both knees closer to her chest when she felt his free hand pushing upon her thigh. The hand working at the bundle of nerves stopped, and she whimpered in disappointment, only to sigh and clench her fists when the fingers from that hand gently spread her open. Feeling the head of his phallus nudging against her, her heart leapt and skidded inside her chest, making her suck in a deep breath and let it out with a high-pitched and shaky huff. As the tip penetrated her, she felt his arms slip underneath her legs, matching the crooks in his elbows to the bend in her knees. He pushed her knees further back as he leaned forward, slowly and inexorably sinking further into her.

"Please, Sesshoumaru. Go really deep..._please_," she begged. He paused for a heartbeat, gradually closing his eyelids over those glowing irises. When he brought his hands down, it was to trap her wrists to the ground, keeping her open and immobile-to do with as he pleased. So there was nothing she could do now except feel: the strength of his hands around her wrists, the bulge of his biceps against the insides of her knees, and the gentle, hot throbbing of his engorged limb.

As he bottomed out inside of her, she groaned loudly, having never experienced (at least, in this life) such a smooth, silky thrust that felt this incredibly good against her little pearl. Of course, her first stimulus had already brought her halfway and made the tiny nub extra sensitive, but she couldn't deny that the feeling had clenched her hands into fists with its intensity. Though she heard an equally loud growl reverberate inside his chest, he didn't pause to savor the sensation and began plunging into her, swiveling his hips every once in a while and breathing harshly. It wasn't that he was over-exerting himself...he was only trying to hold out long enough to wait for his lover.

She wanted to hold him, to dig her nails into his back and feel his cheek against hers. But he held her down, grimacing from the pleasure and giving her a deep penetration that she had also felt when they had made love in the kitchen. With her body bent the way it was, her lungs almost struggled for breath, but her moans and gasps were still loud and clear.

"_Ahhh_, S-Sesshoumaru! Oh God!" she cried, feeling too good, going too fast, and yet still not getting anywhere. He ground into her for endless minutes, building up her lubrication so much that it made erotic, wet sounds every time he thrust into her. She could easily imagine the lewd image they made. With her arms restrained and her legs held open, she felt overpowered-and loved it. The trust she had in him made her feel dominated but safe. Half of her wished to reach climax, but her other half wanted it to last as long as possible, to prolong the end so that she could get as much of him as she could.

"Does it feel good?" he uttered, his voice echoing itself. Rin opened her gaze to look up at him for a split second, seeing the ecstasy on his face before closing her eyes. "Does it feel really good?" he asked again, wincing and growling. She answered him with a breathless affirmative answer, wheezing out another moan.

He loved her even more like this: impossibly slick, squeezing him at the right moments; out of breath and smelling divinely aroused; sending waves of love to crash upon him. A burning heat shifted from his stomach to his loins, twisting upward and building. He knew that at this rate he would leave her behind and quickly backed away, slowing down the pace and leaning back with her wrists still in his hands.

His mate looked confused. She was tousled and her haori barely clung to her shoulders, showing off her supple breasts, which bounced lightly as she was pulling to a sitting position. Looking to him, she had the obvious question in her eyes.

"On your hands and knees," he roughly said, tugging on her wrists to get her to turn around. Shakily, she did so, taking a couple of seconds to shrug out of her haori. Sidling behind her as she placed her hands on the grass, Sesshoumaru gripped her luscious hips in his hands, penetrating her yet again. He clenched his jaw, pushing his pelvis forward and seeking the right angle. Her head dropped down between her arms and her back arched downward, completing their fit and causing both lovers to sigh with pleasure.

"You feel so _good_," he whispered, hoping that she could hear him. She made the best agreeing noise that she could, too distracted by his hips to say anything articulate. The build-up began again, more intense this time. He leaned over her, planting one hand to hold himself up and sliding his other hand between her thighs. He listened to the little noises his mate made in the back of her throat, sticking to the movements that made her gasp and squirm beneath him as he rocked her forward.

She could feel his haori brushing her sides and his thighs pressing against the back of her legs every time he struck deep within her. His chest bearing down on her, his lungs pulling in air as quicky as she did, his hand greedily exploring between her legs...it was bringing her hard and fast to a dizzying and soul-shaking climax.

"Is it working, Rin? I don't think I can wait much longer, love," he gasped out, kissing her shoulder and bucking hard into her. She finally lifted her head, bringing it level with him as they both pitched forwards and backwards.

"_Yes_. I'm so _close_, master," she whispered, vaguely noticing a drop of pleasure sliding down her right thigh.

"Will you come with me?" he asked, pressing his cheek against hers. "Come for me, Rin," he insisted, increasing the pressure of his thrusts, pumping deep and fast. "Come hard for me." She cried out, feeling it starting, triggered by the wonderfully arousing words being whispered in her ear. She felt open and heavy, but dizzy and warm. "Hurry, come with me. Come on, Rin," he encouraged, swirling the wet jewel beneath his longest finger.

"_Yes...yesss..._ Ohh, you're so _deep_! Mmff, I-I'm coming! _God_, yes! I'm coming!" she cried out, her hands grasping the turf in her slim fingers. "C-coming so hard! _Uhhh! Uhhhhh!_ There! There!" And with that, she screamed at the ground, clenching her inner muscles around her mate. His fingers sank deep into the earth as he howled at the air in front of him, shooting an immense amount of his essence deep into her body.

Her thighs didn't want to support her anymore, but she forced herself to remain erect and accept every throb of hot seed that spilled into her. It felt warm and even comforting in her belly, and the wet release of climax, the first she had experienced without any hint of pain, was almost enough to bring tears to her eyes. She realized that her skin was slick with perspiration, and that her hands and knees were dirty and grass-stained. Her thighs were damp, but not from sweat, and every muscle hurt. She felt absolutely magnificent.

He continued to weakly buck into her, letting her tight, pulsating tunnel milk everything it would from him. When he finally began to soften inside her, he withdrew, stumbling back to sit on his rear end. Lying back until his head met the grass, he sucked in air, hoping that he had given his mate another beautiful child.

Perhaps a minute passed by before he felt her presence above him. He opened his eyes just as she lowered her haunches over him, sitting a few inches from his partially hard phallus. She purposefully reached for him, holding the base with a hand that she had scrubbed against the sleeve of her haori to clean off. He immediately sat up, hissing from the touch that came too soon after such a strength-draining orgasm. However, his body betrayed him, hardening again as she brought him to attention once again.

"Once more, master," she pleaded, rising up on her knees. "Fill me again, please." Spreading herself with two fingers, she held onto his shoulder, aiming the head of his slick length at the entrance of her body. She sank quickly, shoving him to the mouth of her womb and tightening her thighs around him. Sighing, she curved her arms around his muscular torso, snaking her hand beneath his haori. "Fill me with it, Sesshoumaru. Deep inside," she whispered, touching the base of his neck with her right hand. He stiffened, not stopping her but bracing himself, and held her close.

She pulled five fingers down quickly, listening to his loud grunt and then the low, long growl as the engorged length increased in size within her, erupting and emptying the hot fluid that would create a new life within her. Nibbling on her lip, she enjoyed the wet heat that moved around inside her. However, when several trembling fingers settled at the nape of her neck, she drew back from their hug, looking at her mate with incredulity. He drew his hand down, watching her face morph from incredulous to orgasmic. Her deep brown eyes closed to his lustful stare, and her head fell back as she nearly lost consciousness. Her voice was gone, but her mate knew that he had brought her a great deal of pleasure, which inflated his ego no small bit. Waiting for her hands fisted in his haori to loosen, he laid back, holding her close to his chest as she lightly panted.

"That was amazing, master," she sighed, cuddling close to him. He silently agreed, waiting for his heart to return to normal. He enjoyed the strong scent of sex in the air and the soft skin beneath his fingers, hoping for the best. When he next opened his eyes, he realized that several minutes had passed and checked on his lover. She was breathing softly, but was not yet asleep, and he slowly brought them back to a sitting position. Her eyes did look a little sleepy as he brushed the hair from her face, but she was otherwise awake, and he helped her stand up, watching admiringly as she wandered a few feet away to find her clothes. He readjusted his own, having only been able to get them partway off before submitting to the call of her scrumptious body. Feeling refreshed, he ignored the want to stretch his arms and settled instead for a deep breath. Rin was halfway done tying her hakama closed around the hem of her haori when she heard the surprised noise behind her and turned to Sesshoumaru as knotted the belt to her pants.

"What is it, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked, hoping to the Gods that more crow demons had not found them.

"You have conceived, love. We did it, we made a child," he declared, unable to resist a proud smile. She clasped her hands together and brought them to her lips, squeaking as she gasped.

"Really?!" He nodded once, his grin softening. The reaction he had been aiming for came over her face, and she leapt at him, clutching his shoulders and laughing with delight. He spun her around in celebration, her shoeless feet flying behind her as he turned.

_Now I've done it. I have to protect not only her life now, but another as well!_


	17. Chapter 17

_hikari no kaimen: _"Light Sponge"  
><em>hikari no fuzai:<em> "Absence of Light"  
><em>moumoku:<em> "Blindness"

_-The Great Northern Ravine-_

"Die!" Ikkatsu screamed, running at him. Her white-knuckled fingers curled inward, as though trying to pop someone's skull, and two large fireballs flared to life in her palms. Twenty feet from him and still running, she threw them-one at his body and one toward his head. Her aim was off, but it was close enough. Toku ducked left, trying to draw her fire away from the cave entrance. He dodged the fireballs quite easily, readying his stance as she skidded to a stop. The wall of the ravine exploded behind him as the fireballs hit, the concussion of which pushed him forward, but he held his ground, ignoring the bits of rock that sprayed at the back of his head. Dust billowed forth.

She moved her hands again, clasping them together. Pulling one hand out as if polishing a sword, a flame appeared between her two hands, straight and stiff. Reaching the tip, she brought her hand down, forming another fireball. Now armed with a sword of flame and another ranged attack, she looked positively menacing and Toku couldn't help but be impressed.

"_Aaaaah!_" Toku flinched. Her war cry was extremely high-pitched, something his father had not told him about. It was a deafening wail, and its vibrations hurt his eardrums. _Now I know why fire demons are so dangerous._

He ran forward to attack.

"_Hikari no Kaimen,_" he softly whispered, swinging his sword down with speed and accuracy. His father had given him, like his other siblings, a truly unique sword. Inutaisho's sword was extremely poisonous and a bite from it was lethal. It controlled the fluids within the body and could poison anything-even demons whose specialty was poison. Only the strongest and oldest of demons could be immune to it because survival required 100% control of your body's own composition.

Karran's sword, lighter than the rest, controlled the elements. She had created strange ways of killing demons using that sword. She choked one to death by forcing mud down his throat and sealing his mouth and nose with ice. Air, fire, water, earth, lightning, wind, and ice...the sword fit her perfectly. She was so flighty and foolhardy sometimes, with a short temper and a cold glare, but she was strong, graceful like her mother, and was the only child of Sesshoumaru's that could phase the way he did. Whenever her mother was near, though, Karran was down-to-earth and tremendously smart, though her strange sense of humor still earned a lot of gasps from her mother.

Genbu's sword reflected his strong, direct nature. It controlled the power of strength, both within the body and outside of it. It could break through barriers, slice through mountains, and mow down a field of demons, but its specialty was in the magic it could cast. It could create a shell around his body that never weakened to physical blows. Around enemies, the shell could contract until the person within was reduced to the size of a pebble. It could paralyze an enemy, having the power to sap all of their strength. His father often compared it to his half-brother's sword, but always gloated that it had more uses and was far more powerful.

Then there was Toku's sword. His sword controlled life energy and the power of light and darkness. It was quiet like him, performing almost all of its attacks in complete silence, and its speed was unmatched. He could steal the light from an enemy's eyes, blinding him. He could harness the light of the sun or moon and direct it at an enemy on an exponential scale. The dark aspect of his sword could conceal his body, making him invisible in daylight or nighttime. His sword also harnessed the pitch black of a tomb-consuming the energy of a demon. However, it was similar to his father's first sword in that it could restore the life of any being. It stored the basic life essence of his enemies, which he could use to create life in another that had died.

In swinging down his sword, Toku had taken the light from the flame of her sword, literally sucking it out of her hands. Ikkatsu gasped in surprise, looking at him with a strange mix of anger and fear. She hastily backed away, putting a fair distance between them.

"A light user?" she somewhat accurately guessed, but he wasn't about to correct her. Setting her jaw, she stood still, hands at her hands, and closed her eyes. Toku was too interested to see what she was doing to think about attacking her before she could complete her next move. She began a short but intricate dance. She brought her hands together, making an odd form with her fingers, and put one foot forward. Muttering under her breath and pulling her hands apart, she flung her arms out and then up above her head. Opening her eyes again, she suddenly dropped to her haunches, smacking her hands down on the ground. Heat poured forth, and he felt rather than saw something flowing into her body from the ground.

Now this he had heard of.

Fire demons had the power to call and use the Black Fires of Hell. It was the only light source, if you could call it light, from which his sword could not draw using _Hikari no Kaimen_. Pressing the flat of his blade to his forehead, he muttered a new aspect,

"_Hikari no Fuzai._" Tipping his sword down until it touched the ground, he pulled the darkness around him like a cloak, concealing his body and making it invisible. Seeing that he was disappearing, she quickened her attack, opening her mouth and taking a deep breath. The black fires burst from her throat in a long, widening stream, but it was too late. He had ducked right and closed the distance between them by half. Thanks to the rock bottom of the ravine, she wouldn't be able to see his footprints moving towards her, and the dust from her earlier attack was beginning to settle, so it wouldn't be able to help her, either. Toku watched her for her next move.

"Damn you!" she screamed, looking around for any sign of movement. She kept her hands planted, drawing up more of the hellish power, and made one wide sweep of the area in front of her, spewing the flames from her left to her right. He was forced to roll forward and then flatten himself to avoid the attack, but she missed him by a far margin.

He had to get closer.

Rising from the ground as quietly as he could, he slowly walked forward, rolling his ankles to avoid making any sound with his footsteps. She was stock still, obviously listening for him. He could feel the intensity of the heat rolling off of her as she drew more power, readying another attack for when he made a mistake. When he was within arm's length of her, he raised his sword, pointing the tip at her nose.

"_Moumoku,_" he said in his quiet voice.

She whipped her face to him, but gasped when she saw nothing there. In fact, everything was pitch-black. He had blinded her!

She screamed, breaking her connection with the ground. Her eyes snapped shut, as if she could reverse the damage by closing them, and she rolled back, scrambling as far away as she could before coming to a stand. Toku felt it safe to drop his invisibility, and watched her reaction.

"I hate you! I _hate_ you! Your family has made a ruin of mine!" Her eyes were squeezed shut, face tilted downwards, and her fists shook with fury. "I have no family left! And I can't even have my vengeance!" She opened her unseeing eyes, looking to the sky as hot tears trailed down her cheeks, causing steam to rise from her face. "I don't want to go back there..." Toku's heart stopped, realizing what she was planning to do. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, her heart slowing down as she calmed herself. Her hands fanned at her sides, and a few licks of black flame seeped out.

She still had a store of them in her body.

The tears dried on her cheeks and she took deep breaths, picturing the night sky in her mind's eye._Brother. Sister. We'll soon be together again._ Bringing her palms to her chest, she began to release the flame.

"Stop it!" she heard in front of her. She felt him pivot around her, his chest brushing her shoulder. Gasping as two powerful arms came around her, Ikkatsu tried to resist when his hands gripped her wrists, but fire demons were not known for their physical strength, and he easily opened her arms, pointing her palms to the sides as they released two large, black fireballs. They rammed into the sides of the ravine, loosening some boulders farther up, but they landed far from Toku and Ikkatsu.

"Let go of me! Either you kill me or I kill myself! _Does it matter who does it?_" she yelled as she struggled to get her wrists out of his hands. He released one, trying not to react to the intense heat of her skin, and whipped her around. Grabbing her wrist again when she tried to jerk her other one out of his grip, he pulled her closer, angry that she would take her own life. She was still blind, so balance and keeping her footing was harder and she slipped, but he hauled her back up, gripping her wrists hard enough to make the tendons creak.

"Aaah!" she gasped, immediately calming down. He released the spell from her eyes, restoring her vision, and she blinked several times before looking at him.

"Do you know how rare you are?" he asked, his tone soft. His question confused her; especially because of the way he said it.

"W-what do you mean?" she asked, her voice breathless and tired. Calling upon the Forbidden Fires was draining, and it would be several days before she was able to do it again.

"Fire demons are extremely rare. You were originally created by dark priests to do battle for them, and bred amongst yourselves once you were free of from servitude, but now your numbers dwindle, and no one summons fire demons anymore-too hard to control. So you're rare. You shouldn't kill yourself," he reasoned, shaking her once. Her jaw stiffened.

"Your father didn't seem to mind killing my brother," she spat, her anger renewing.

"What do you know of what happened? A few months ago, my father told us that some young demon waltzed up to him and started a fight. He gave no explanation, and my father did not ask for one. Perhaps your brother lied to you about his intentions. He wanted the Western Lands and he wanted them now. No amount of waiting, married to some half-demon daughter, would suit him," he suggested, shocking the anger out of her face. _Half-demon? Lord Sesshoumaru mated with a human?_

"My brother would not lie to me!" she affirmed, fisting her hands.

"You called him ambitious. He desired power. Lying isn't that far off." Ikkatsu shook her head, her shoulders drooping. Her hands now lay limp in his hands. He released them slowly and her arms dropped down to her sides. She heard the hiss and clink of steel as he picked up the sword he had dropped next to her.

"What am I to do now? I have no family left," she quietly asked herself. His finger touched her chin, raising it up until he could look into her eyes. He stared at her for perhaps only ten seconds, but it felt like a week to her.

"You'll join my family," he announced. She blinked at him, dumbfounded.

"T-Toku," she whispered. "I can't. I can't do that!" she insisted, taking a step back. He took a step forward, snaking his left arm around her.

"Yes, you can. I've seen the way you look at me. I want you, too," he softly answered, tightening his arm. "And once you meet my father, you'll have the truth from him." Ikkatsu's heart was pounding. The entire day just had too many surprises!

"He-...No, no-" she began, trying to dislodge herself from within his arm. His other hand still held his sword, or else he might have hugged her completely to him.

"You're at least coming to the house, whether you like it or not. I know where to find the right rope for fire demons," he grumbled, bringing his face closer. Ikkatsu was breathing a mile-a-minute now, too embarrassed, confused, and...dare she say it, aroused, to keep herself calm. Latching onto his last statement, she tried to secure her freedom.

"Well, then-how will you keep me under control until you get this 'rope'?" she challenged, her voice a bit shaky. He gave her his first smile, a quiet one that indicated he knew more than people thought. His lips settled on hers and she stiffened in shock. Toku's heart leapt. Her lips were very warm and very soft, and his mind jumped immediately to a future time when she might use these lips for an even more pleasurable purpose. He kept the kiss simple, though, and ended it quickly.

"Don't worry, it's not far," he said, raising the hand with the sword in it.

"What's not-" He hit the back of her head with the hilt of his sword and she went limp in his arms. The only drawback to being an elemental demon of a non-solid element like air and fire was that you were not only vulnerable elements to that opposed your own, but to physical attacks as well. The gunshot wound that killed her sister was enough proof of that drawback, so Toku knew he was safe with a little tap on the head. She was out like a light. He smirked over the pun.

Shifting her carefully, he sheathed his sword and brought her back to the cave. His brother was waiting at the entrance, having watched the exchange.

"Well, I guess that's one way to bring a fire demon down," Genbu commented.

"Yes, I didn't even have to wound her. I had the spots all picked out, but she proved to be worse with using her own powers than I thought," Toku replied, taking her inside. He laid her on the blanket and then turned to his brother, who raised a single eyebrow at him.

"What? Do you disapprove of my choice for a mate?" he asked smoothly and calmly, standing taller.

"No, she's an excellent choice. She'll breed very powerful children with you. I am only saddened by the strange method of wooing you used. How unromantic," Genbu chided, shaking his head.

"Hey...shut up..."

_-Inuyasha Forest, Morning-_

Rin stretched her legs, still lying upon the blanket-or rather, upon Sesshoumaru-and felt the wonderful soreness from a good night of sex. Her muscles were stiff, but they would loosen up soon enough. Last night, after they retrieved her sandals and made it back to camp, she fell asleep on her side with her mate spooned behind her, but twice before the dawn, he gently nudged her awake and made love to her again. Both had been slow and gentle, marked only by gasps and a few sighs.

Now that the sun was awake again to brighten another day, Rin felt a strange new energy. She kissed her husband good morning before running off towards the river to freshen up, and Sesshoumaru prepared the horse, which had to be fed and watered for the last leg of the journey. When his mate returned, she was clean, her cheeks rosy, and her kimono flawlessly tied. He helped her onto the horse and then joined her, holding her close.

Inuyasha Forest was surprisingly free of much undergrowth, unlike the Weeping Forest. The trees were tall and thin, with far-spreading branches. The paths were easily visible and generally wide enough for carts, thanks to the work of humans. They took the first path at a gallop, with Rin's legs to one side and her arms holding Sesshoumaru for security. She let herself sift through her memories of Karran, and was soon almost too excited to see her to bear it at all.

Karran was certainly the strangest of her children. _Her sense of humor..._ Rin half-giggled and half-grimaced to herself just thinking about some choice comments that had stuck with her. Karran just went where her soul pointed her. She was the most free-minded, strong-willed person that Rin had ever met-besides her Sesshoumaru, of course. But even he didn't possess Karran's humorous side.

And soon, she would see her beloved daughter again.

_-Inuyasha's Village, Late Afternoon-_

"Inuyasha-sama, my grandfather would be clucking his tongue at you right now. I can just imagine grandmother rolling her eyes. What do you plan to do by sitting there all day and all night?" Shimizu asked. Though he didn't take after his father and grandfather before him in his choice of profession, he followed their wills to look after the well-being of a close family friend-he _was_ a half-dog demon, but Shimizu, ever since he was a child, knew that Inuyasha was the best of men...in the loosest sense of the phrase. His older brother, Tansui, had become a monk ...also in the loosest sense of the word. He was too much like their grandfather.

Shimizu's grandfather, Miroku, had died almost ten years ago, right after his grandmother, Sango, had died. It was a sad year, and Inuyasha, having lost his wife to old age six years before that, took the blow pretty hard. Only his friend, Shippou, who visited whenever he could, gave him any sort of real company. When the time came for his mate to rejoin him, Inuyasha searched the countryside for her, always feeling her presence but unable to find it. It was as if she walked in another fold of time than he did.

Shimizu didn't know until a few weeks ago how correct he was. It was shocking to believe that Kagome-san was not from their world (or rather, from their time)-her secret had been kept safe, even from him and his brother. He had always wondered where she and Inuyasha would go for long periods of time, and his parents always told him that they were simply on a vacation. This was even harder to understand...no one in his village took vacations. They took trips to sell goods, marry off daughters, or visit grandchildren, but not to simply rest somewhere.

One of Inuyasha and Kagome's sons was still around-Kouryoku. He had been educated in this other world, and according to Inuyasha, he looked enough like a full human to be unnoticed. His hair was black, like his mother's, but they had to give him something to change his eye color from yellow to brown-something called "contacts".

Supposedly, Kouryoku was in this other world right now, looking for his reincarnated mother, but Inuyasha could not enter the well anymore. Why he could not use the well, after having been back and forth hundreds of times when his wife was alive, was still a mystery, but Shimizu's father had theorized that the reincarnation, which contained the essence of the Shikon no Tama, had to be near the well to activate it. Even more baffling was that Kouryoku could still use the well, something which Shimizu's father was still studying.

The other of Inuyasha and Kagome's sons had died because he picked a fight with a demon too strong for him. Kouryoku had received a sword from his father upon his fifteenth birthday, so the younger son wanted to prove his own strength. The body, when Inuyasha found the rest of it, was too shredded to be saved, even if Inuyasha's half-brother were called to help-which he wasn't. Inuyasha, in a rage, killed the entire clan of demons that had slain his son, and Kagome cried for weeks-at least, that's what his mother had told him. It was why he never asked about their children, or why they hadn't had more. He still desired to know, but now was not the time.

"I have nothing else to do, Shimizu. Let me wait for her," he answered. Shimizu always wondered where this temper his grandfather had always told him about was. Grandfather would talk about how Inuyasha became rude any time something he didn't like happened, but Shimizu thought of him as being fairly mature...a little too bold and direct, but he controlled his temper very well. Perhaps it was when he was young._The young are always hot-tempered._

"The sun is an hour from setting. Why don't you come eat with us?" he implored, giving a last ditch effort to bring him back to the village. Inuyasha sighed, taking a deep breath as he turned to look at the grandchild of Miroku. He caught a scent, though and stood up, taking a deep breath. Shimizu watched him turn towards the northwest and inhale again, his body stiffening.

"Sesshoumaru...?" he asked himself, sniffing again. Then shooting off in a sprint, he left Shimizu behind, who shouted after him,

"Hey! _What's wrong?!_"

The source wasn't far-only half a mile maybe. He could smell Sesshoumaru's mate also, though her scent was a little different than he remembered-probably because she was a reincarnation. He hoped that Kagome smelled the same; he didn't want her to be at all different.

As he came closer to their location, he could also smell a horse and wrinkled his nose, thinking that Sesshoumaru was going soft if he was riding a horse. Going back to his mate's scent, he tried to define what was different and it dawned on him that she must be with child. It had been so long since Kagome had smelled like that...

Sesshoumaru slowed the horse and Rin looked around, wondering what was the matter. She did not yet see a village in the distance, though the forest was starting to thin, so she looked to her husband for an explanation.

"My brother has caught our scent. He's on his way to 'greet' us, I suppose," Sesshoumaru explained. He had not spoken to his half-brother since a few days before Rin died sixteen years ago. He had thought of him once in a while and had heard news of that Kagome girl's death from his daughter, but over the years, seeking his brother's company was avoided. He knew it would be too painful for them both. Indeed, it was hard to keep company with any of his children, for they held a bit of her scent. But he loved his children despite the cold demeanor he usually displayed, and kept his promise to Rin to remain an attentive father.

"Do you suppose he'll be happy to see us?" Rin never really came to know Inuyasha very well. She was acquainted with his wife and had heard of his children, but somehow neither family had met-and her husband was probably the reason why.

_That's something I'll have to change this time._

"I doubt 'happy' is the correct word, but he'll be interested to see us."

Suddenly appearing on the path, Inuyasha skidded to a halt; his face was serious, and his eyes searched their party. Rin's mouth was a bit ajar as she studied him. In her memories, he always wore a red outfit made of some strange animal pelt, but he seemed to have at least learned a bit of fashion sense, for now he wore black hakama with a normal red haori. His clothes made him look similar to Genbu, though their facial structures differed greatly.

"Sesshoumaru..." Inuyasha said, as if it was all he could think. He hadn't seen his older brother in many years-many long, lonely years. He could see the weariness in Sesshoumaru's eyes, but he doubted that it would remain for long. His bounded mate-for-life-eternal had returned to him, and that, Inuyasha knew, had made him completely and utterly happy.

"Long time no see, Inuyasha-sama," Rin greeted. It successfully distracted Inuyasha, who looked to her smiling face. He returned the smile, nodding his head.

"Yeah, it has been a long time. Right, Sesshoumaru?" he said, looking to his brother. It was then that Rin realized that her mate had never visited his brother during the time she was away. She wanted to turn and pinch him, but refrained from doing so.

"Has your woman returned?" Sesshoumaru asked, getting straight to the point. Inuyasha's face hardened, but he took an audible swallow before answering,

"My son is looking for her. Where she is, I cannot go." His reply was vague, but Sesshoumaru let it go, moving onto his next question.

"How long has he been searching?" Rin could tell that the questions obviously infuriated Inuyasha-his face was turning a little pinker. However, he didn't seem to be angry with them, but with himself.

"Three days. He promised to return by tonight, either with her or without her. If he has not brought her home, he will go again until he is successful," he explained, coming closer to the horse. Sesshoumaru made a pensive noise, looking off to the side. Then nudging the horse with his heels, he moved the animal forward.

"Let us talk where she can be more comfortable," he concluded, gesturing towards Rin. She had to admit that her back hurt since she was sitting sideways, and breathed a sigh of relief. Inuyasha gestured with his head towards the village up ahead.

"My home isn't far from here. I'll go on ahead," he conceded, looking to Rin again before sprinting down the path. Sesshoumaru watched his half-brother until he had gone around a bend in the path. _He's much calmer than I remember._

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" she gently asked, prodding him to share his wayward thoughts as he nudged the horse into a faster pace.

"I was thinking of how Inuyasha has changed," he admitted. She tightened her arms around him, now being jostled quite a bit.

"I don't think I saw him all that often, before I was gone."

"Yes, he and his woman rarely visited. Usually, she was the one who came to deliver our children and he would stay behind."

"How has he changed, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"When Naraku was causing so much trouble, Inuyasha was still very young. That priestess's arrow had frozen him for so long. He is full-grown now, and has become much calmer. The years have calmed him, I should say," he answered.

"You never visited him, did you?" she conjectured. He didn't answer right away, confirming her suspicion.

"I...knew it would be painful for him-and for me as well." Rin fell silent, saddened for some reason, and thought about his words. _How can visiting your brother be painful?_ She knew that emotions were something her mate always had difficulty explaining, so she decided to drop it for the time being.

The trees were abruptly thinning, and then were suddenly gone as they reached a hilltop. Rin's jaw dropped open in shock. She had never seen such a large town. She had been to a few villages, but this was easily three times as large. The buildings were mostly built of solid wood, and the gabled roofs were made of some reddish material. Though she had always thought of their own home as being richly made, these buildings easily rivaled their own estate. The setting sun cast a glow to the rooftops, outlining the immaculately designed structures.

"Hohh...they've improved their construction techniques since I was last here."

"Amazing," Rin whispered, her eyes eagerly absorbing all of the beautiful lines and details. Sesshoumaru lifted his nose in search of his brother's scent trail and began to descend the hill. They caught the eyes of a few housewives and farmers, but most of them gave them only a few seconds of attention. They were used to having Inuyasha and his family around, so most stares were curious rather than frightened, though a few children ran to their mothers in confusion. Arriving at a well-built, one-story house near the edge of the town, Sesshoumaru stopped the horse, descending first before helping Rin down.

"It's a very beautiful home," she commented, patting the horse absent-mindedly. She didn't notice her mate's slightly annoyed expression. The home had a wraparound porch and the eaves were brightly painted, detailed with some sort of metal. Even the railings on the edge of the porch had trimming. The _shoji_ screens were all perfectly clean, and the main posts supporting the roof had their own ornaments. She wondered if Inuyasha-sama had a garden as well.

"Welcome to my home," he said, opening the front door of the house and stepping outside. Rin automatically bowed down, returning the proper greeting. Again, she missed her mate's annoyance.

"Did you build this house, Inuyasha-sama?" she asked, watching Inuyasha approach.

"Yeah, Ka-...Kagome brought me architectural books. I never read them until she was... Anyway, Kouryoku and I spent the years while she was gone building this house. My son had to get the supplies and help me figure out what some of it meant. When this one was done, I built another for a friend. Then another and another... I was pretty bored," he admitted, his eyes sliding off to the side. Rin grimaced, clenching her teeth. _Bad subject!_

"I can prepare dinner if you are hungry," she offered, taking his mind off of his absent mate.

"Thanks. Sesshoumaru and I will return by the time you're done. I'm sure you can find the kitchen," he evenly replied. She was caught a little off-guard, not knowing that Sesshoumaru and he would be going somewhere. Thinking it would be best not to ask, she nodded, and retrieved a bag from the horse before excusing herself into the house.

"We'll get that horse taken care of first," Inuyasha said, leading Sesshoumaru towards the rear of the house. The two brothers were quiet, the tension obvious.

Inside, Rin knew she had to stop gasping so much. She couldn't believe the detail and craftsmanship put into the interior. The designs were simple but quite elegant and the extras were tastefully done. A little jealous, she searched for the kitchen, finding it on the right side of the back of the house.

Having unsaddled and watered the horse, Inuyasha left the animal at the back of the house; he was certain that if it were Sesshoumaru's horse, it wouldn't wander off on its own. Sesshoumaru, stoically regarding the small but beautiful garden, turned to his younger brother.

"Isn't it time that you told me this secret about Kagome?" he asked, having used her name this time to show a bit more respect. After all, her body housed the key to Rin's immortality. Inuyasha's face, which usually showed everything he was thinking, remained perfectly blank.

"She is not from this time. She came to this world from the future," he bluntly explained. Sesshoumaru's mouth fell ajar and though this exterior reaction was small, his brother's announcement was a shock for him. He had heard of many things, seen many things, but time travel...

"I had thought she would return to her world when Naraku was destroyed...when we destroyed the Shikon no Tama. It was what powered her ability to travel through the well outside of the city. We were never really certain about the rules to it. Miroku, the monk that traveled with us, had guessed that though the jewel was gone, she _could_ go back to her time since it was where she belonged, but she wouldn't be able to return. I..." Inuyasha's jaw hardened, "I begged her not to leave, but she knew that she couldn't abandon her family without a word of warning.

The night before she was supposed to leave...I didn't know it, but she had mixed the ashes of the Shikon no Tama into her food that night and ate the entire bowl. I even remember her licking the inside 'til all of the soup was gone. She thought it might work, but she didn't want to get my hopes up.

"In essence, she had absorbed the jewel and it still allowed for her to go back and forth. We had thought that her holy powers had enhanced, but they were the same as ever and no demons ever came to bother us." He walked over to a stone lamp sitting in the middle of the garden, staring at it. His brother remained silent, pondering this new information. According to the rumors Jaken had told him, the Shikon no Tama was sealed for many years, and then burnt with Kagome's body, but this new story made better sense. After a few more seconds, Inuyasha continued.

"We had two boys...I'm sure you know that, at least. When the younger was killed," he began, not seeing his older brother's surprised reaction, "Kagome didn't know who to blame and I tried to help her cope, but...I've never been good with words, anyway. We had no more children, and though our marriage continued as usual, I could always tell that she thought it was my fault. I suppose it was...

"Watching her grow old...unable to grow old with her...you know what that's like." Inuyasha turned then to look at Sesshoumaru, who had regained his composure. "And I know why you're here. I assume you've called your daughter to help," he guessed, waiting for his older brother's affirming nod. "Then we should wait by the well for my son, who hopefully has my wife with him. Follow me." He walked to the front of the house again, sniffing for the woman in his home as she prepared something with curry spices.

Once he took off, shooting into the woods on the east side of the house, Sesshoumaru stayed close behind. He felt an uncanny sense of communion with Inuyasha then. It was a bit disturbing to him, yet comforting at the same time. Both had children, and he couldn't imagine losing any of his four offspring. Both had human wives, and he certainly knew the pain that his brother had endured.

He now understood the change in his sibling, though. Sesshoumaru had lost a wife, but Inuyasha had lost a wife, a son, and most of his friends.

At a sudden break in the woods, an overgrown wooden well appeared before them. Someone standing next to the well looked immediately to Sesshoumaru before directing a question to Inuyasha.

"Is this...?" Shimizu asked, obviously referring to the new demon in their midst.

"Yes, my older half-brother, Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands." Sesshoumaru took a whiff of the human's scent, detecting that he was a descendant of the monk.

"Nice to meet you," he said, half-bowing at Sesshoumaru. "Inuyasha, my wife will be wondering where I am. Come by to visit once your son has returned," he requested, moving off towards the village. Inuyasha nodded, approaching the well to sit on it. Sesshoumaru eyed the man as he left, but soon it was just he and his brother there.

"Inuyasha..." Sesshoumaru began, getting his brother's attention. "I am sorry to hear about your son," he softly sympathized. Inuyasha looked at him in surprise, and the sadness that seeped into his eyes gave way to an awkward silence.

"Yeah..."

_-The Great Northern Ravine-_

Ikkatsu scrunched her nose, feeling a dull pain on the top of her head. She was laying on a pretty hard surface, but that didn't account for the aches that throbbed in practically all of her joints and muscles. Attempting to move her head, she softly moaned, wondering why her neck felt so stiff. Her nose itched, so she tried to reach up with her hand and scratch the problem area, but her other hand came, too. Shaking her wrists to try to get them apart, she opened her eyes, looking down at her hands. A thick white cloth was wrapped around her clasped hands, tied to her wrists with a red rope that also bound her wrists together. She stared at the kanji written on the cloth. It was the same one, over and over again, but she didn't recognize it.

Staring at it confusedly, she tried to conjure up the memories that would explain this predicament.

_I was with Tenrai. Headed north and an army crossed our path._ Her chest suddenly hurt and her eyes moistened as she gazed at the roof of a cave.

_Injured, ran away, Tenrai needs help._ A vision of billowing white hair flashed in front of her mind's eye.

_Dog demons saved us, but she's dead. Toku._ Gasping as the memories of last night came rushing at her, she abruptly sat up, looking around. The fire was dead, her hands were bound, and she lay on a thin brown blanket. Looking at the opening to the cave, the trim, relaxed body of her captor leaned on the side of the entrance, gazing outside.

Looking down at her hands again, she remembered what he had said last night. _He wants to keep me._Squinting her eyes, she prepared to conjure a flame that would burn away her bonds, but nothing came out. Blinking in surprise, she tried again.

Nothing.

She almost panicked, but realized that it must be the power-blocking rope of which he spoke. Her hands were the only outlets for her fire magic, so he had effectively subdued her.

"Are you thirsty?" a gentle voice asked. Ikkatsu gasped, looking up at the dog demon. He held a small cup in his hand, and she swallowed as she looked at it, feeling a gritty soreness in her throat. Bringing her eyes back to him, she imperceptibly nodded. He leaned down over her, setting one knee next to her hip. Touching the cup to her lips, he tipped it slightly, watching her lips take in the water. She was obviously uncomfortable with him watching her drink and he had to quell a smile. Once the cup was empty, he brushed his thumb across her bottom lip to wipe away the excess.

Her eyelashes fluttered and her gaze flicked to the side, avoiding the message in his eyes. _Toku is more dangerous than him...much more dangerous._

"W-where is your brother?" she asked, trying to get his mind on something besides her.

"He is probably spying on the army that killed your sister and injured you," he explained. "Afterwards, he shall return to the northern castle, prepare our army, and await my return in two weeks." She was somewhat amazed that he was telling her so much. She had expected an answer more along the lines of, _'he's out.'_ It was as if he were talking to..._a wife._ Inwardly shaking her head at that thought, she went on to ask,

"Why two weeks?" He gave her a soft smile, curving closer to her. She felt her heartbeat pick up. _What about me_, she wanted to ask.

"You and I will go to my parent's house, almost a day south of here. There, we shall get to know each other," he said, emphasizing 'know.' "When my parents return from their quest, I shall introduce you as my mate, and request my father's approval to bind you to me."

Her face immediately turned beet red. Emphatically shaking her head, she pleaded with him to release her,

"I don't know you at all! How do I know if I would even _like_ you as a mate? I-I want you to let me go!" He edged even closer, and she leaned back away from him.

"I would normally grant all of your wants and desires, but in this, I shall win. My father will easily accept you and my mother will treat you as her own daughter, I know." His eyes searched her blood red irises. His neck stretched out, bringing his mouth nearer. "And I would spend every breath in my body to make you happy," he whispered. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her cheek and the rush of blood to her head due to his nearness. She had the strange urge to shiver, but fire demons were never chilled.

"T-then where are we going now?" she asked, now leaning sideways to gain a little distance, even if it were only a few more inches. He immediately backed off, though, stowing the small cup.

"We will prepare to leave and hopefully be home by midnight. You slept for quite a long time. I suppose I shouldn't have hit your head so hard," he lamented, turning to look at her. She looked away, blushing again. He rummaged through the sack for a bit longer, pulling out a washcloth and a soup bowl. He left the cave then, and didn't return for a couple of minutes. When he returned, he went to straight to her.

"I'm going to check your wound first, so turn this way," he directed, squatting next to her. She turned her body around, giving him access to her left thigh. He carefully removed the bandages, tossing them next to the bowl, now full of water. After wringing out the washcloth, he scrubbed away the dried blood and other remnants, ignoring her initial hiss of pain. Once he was done, she looked down and saw that only a small pucker was left. It didn't even require a new bandage.

"It's doing very well," he affirmed. Tossing out the dirtied water, he returned and packed away the supplies sitting around, and eventually had her stand so that he could fold the blanket and put it away.

"Will we be riding the phoenix demon?" she asked, following him outside.

"Yes, there he is," he pointed. The phoenix sat about twenty meters further down the ravine, huddled close to the side. Tying the bags to loops on the demon's saddle, he gave it a pet before turning to her. Scooping her up and gently settling her on the front of the saddle, he swung up behind her. Ikkatsu couldn't help herself and looked for the rock where Tenrai had turned to ash. It wasn't hard to find because it had been charred black, and in the center lay a grouping of delicate flowers.

_They left her flowers..._

Toku's arms came around her to find the reins, his hips pressing close to her backside. "Lifting off," he said into her ear, nudging the sides of the phoenix demon. Ikkatsu successfully fought off what had to be a shiver and leaned forward to avoid too much contact with him.

She still felt tired. Calling the black fires had wiped her out, especially since it was so much, and previously, she had done it only a couple of times, both for practice. She yawned, her eyelids were heavy despite the beautiful scenery to be seen below. There was no way to sleep, though, not without danger of sliding off the phoenix demon, which would ensure her untimely death. She could lay back upon Toku, but...

"If you want to sleep, just lean back," he suggested as if he could read her mind. In actuality, he could tell from the set of her shoulders and the slouch in her spine that she was fighting to stay awake. He also knew that she didn't want to rely on him for anything.

"I'm completely awake," she countered, her back straightening. He smirked, not saying a word, and counted the seconds until she was nodding off again. It was only five minutes later that her head first drooped. Shifting the reins to one hand, he pulled her back against his chest with a hand to her stomach, and she willingly came, setting her head on his shoulder. Laying his free arm across her lap and clasping her far elbow, he curved his back to match hers.

"Not tired...at all," she sighed.

_-Castle of the Lord of the Western Lands-_

Inutaisho, glad that his brothers weren't there to pick on him, was busily cleaning. The house had not had a thorough scrubbing since mother had died and he didn't want Yokiri to think badly of his mother if she arrived at a home that was obviously covered with dust. However, it was really an excuse to have something to do. He had found himself restless and agitated, anxiously awaiting the day when he could return for her.

_Only three more days._

_-Inuyasha's Village, Early Evening-_

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha ended up waiting for an hour, both completely silent. The elder brother was inwardly surprised that his sibling was so reticent, especially when before, it seemed as if he never shut up. There was no doubt, however, as to why he was now so reserved.

When a bluish light spread up to the mouth of the well, Inuyasha turned around so fast that you would have missed it if you had blinked. He glared down into the well as figures emerged from the bottom, his teeth clenched as if his stomach were upset. Sesshoumaru, standing several feet away since he was only a witness, could hear his brother's heart racing inside his chest. The scent from the first person inside the well was mostly human, though he could sense a significant amount of _youki_ that was heavily muted.

The second person was entirely human and Sesshoumaru was tempted to smile, for the human's scent was very familiar. _This should make him happy._

"Hey, dad!" someone called up, his voice surprisingly smooth. "Back up, will ya?" Inuyasha took a step back, his fists clenched. There was a short pause and then the son leapt out of the well, holding a girl in his arms. When he landed, he set the girl on her feet and took a step back. The girl looked around confusedly, her cheeks flushed with emotion and her hair a bit messy.

Kagome was dressed even more strangely than when Sesshoumaru had last seen her. Most of her shirt was opaque except for the parts that needed coverage, and the color of the opaque parts was a pattern of intriguing pink swirls. The sleeves were very baggy, especially from her elbows to her wrists. The shoulders of the shirt were gone, and all that connected the shirt to the sleeves was the cloth in the underarm area. A black leather collar around her neck was attached to the front of her shirt, keeping it from falling down. She wore a thick black leather strap around her waist, like an obi, but there was no bow in the back. The leather obi supported her breasts quite well, and Sesshoumaru could not help but imagine his own mate dressed like her.

Her pants, which rode low on her hips and extended only halfway down her thighs, were thin and black with faint sparkles, and they clung to the contours of her shapely legs. Her footwear was the strangest of all. They were boots with tall heels, and the shiny, stiff cloth that made up the shoes rose all the way to her knees. The front half of this cloth was white and the other half was black, but the cloth had holes the shapes of ovals along the outside of both calves, getting smaller as they neared her ankle.

People in the future had a strange way of dressing.

Inuyasha drank in the sight of her. Her smell was the same, her face was the same, and her body was the same. Though the clothes were foreign to him, they looked very good on her. He felt nauseous, but only because there was so much adrenaline flooding his veins at the sight of her. He had missed her so much and just seeing her was like drinking water after dying from thirst for sixteen years.

He could tell immediately that she was very frightened. Her heart was pounding madly, her eyes darted around, and her shoulders hunched upward as she curled slightly inward.

"Kouryoku, did you have to take her by force?" he asked, looking behind her to his son.

"Yeah, dad. She did not believe me, and had this taser with her-"

"A what?" Inuyasha asked, now confused.

"It's a high-voltage stun gun that you use to-never mind. No one saw me take her into the well, but the shrine monk will soon notice that the well is open again."

"We'll worry about him tomorrow, but what did you tell her?" Inuyasha looked to Kagome again, wondering what strange face paint she had applied to her eyes. Her hair seemed to be the same, but it looked like the bottom was dipped into a dark red dye. The fear in her eyes was diminishing a bit, as if her heart was recognizing him even if her mind did not. Her heart was slowing down and her body was relaxing.

"I told her that she was the reincarnated soul mate of a half-demon five-hundred years in her past, and that she had to pass through a shrine well to meet with you again. I told her the truth, thinking that it might actually work, but it turns out that I should have lied to her. She shot me with that blasted taser and it took me a day to get out of jail."

"Jail? Did those...police officers," he said, saying the word slowly, "find out anything about you?"

"I just told them I was drunk and accidentally freaked out some girl who overreacted. I had a clean record, so they bought it," Kouryoku explained.

"What are you going to do with me?" she asked, having spoken for the first time. Inuyasha's eyes closed, savoring the sound of her voice. Kouryoku, as subtly as possible, walked around to stand next to his uncle.

"I just need to touch a bare patch of skin. You'll understand then," Inuyasha calmly replied, taking a step forward. She stumbled back a step, watching his hands as if they might chop her head off.

"Can I go home after that? Will you let me go?" she said, her eyes flicking back up to his face. She couldn't step back any further, or else she would tumble back into the well, and she didn't know if the bottom would disappear this time.

"I don't know how you'll feel about me afterwards, but...I'll do anything for you," he whispered, stepping forward once more. He was within a hand's breadth of her chest, and inhaled deeply, relishing her scent. He looked into her eyes, seeing that the fear was almost gone, and brought one hand up.

When that man, Kouryoku, had taken her, Kagome had never been so scared in her life. She and her friends were planning to go shopping that afternoon, and as she left the house, he simply grabbed her from a set of overgrown bushes near the end of her block. The night before, he had accosted her at a nightclub and after she shocked him with her taser, the bouncers restrained him, though she had the feeling that he just let them have him. The police came and took him away, but she didn't press charges since her mother would kill her for going to a club.

She had thought that he was in jail, but...

When he kidnapped her, he left her purse there in the bush, so she had no access to her taser, and, seeing his inhuman speed as he carried her off, she wondered if perhaps he really was a demon, taking her somewhere for some virgin sacrifice.

Well, she was sort of close. She was surprised when he entered the gates of a shrine, and wondered what unholy rituals he wanted to perform there. Though she tried to scream for help, the man's hand never left her mouth, and he bundled her away into the well house. She had never been inside, but could tell that the lid to the well had been smashed open. She screamed into his hand as they tumbled down the well's shaft, but when she realized that they never hit the bottom, she wondered if he had actually been telling her the truth.

The half-demon who she had been told about was certainly...impressive. He was very handsome, dressed very traditionally, and looked to be a calm person. His voice and his face seemed so familiar that she wanted to believe his son's story. She watched out of the corner of her eye as his hand inched forward towards her left cheek, curving slightly to cup it. Something sizzled underneath her skin as his skin touched the velvety surface of her cheek, and her eyes clouded over as images locked within a corner of her mind were unleashed.

Sesshoumaru watched the exchange, his demonic eyes noticing the second that her pupils reduced to pinpoints. Her body began to shake, the same way that Rin's body shook when he performed the Reminding. A tear squeezed out from her eyes, pulling some of her black eye paint down her cheek. Inuyasha calmed watched her, his body ready to catch her.

"_Aahh!_...S-Sango? Miroku? ...N-Naraku! K-...Kikyou. I see you, Ryoku. M-...mama sees you... Inuyasha! Where's our son?" Kagome choked out, most of it in a whisper, though some of it was shouted. Sesshoumaru wondered why her memories were so much stronger than Rin's, for his own mate had lived through the Reminding silently.

"No! He's not dead! Inuyasha!" she screamed, more tears falling from her face. Sesshoumaru looked to Inuyasha, whose face was actually well composed as Kagome lived through her youngest son's death. He looked to the other son, whose jaw was tightly clenched.

"Don't cry. Don't cry. He'll see me crying," she whispered. "I don't blame you! Please don't look so guilty." This got a reaction out of Inuyasha, whose lips parted in surprise. "I'm sorry, I can't...have another child after...after..." Her mumblings became quieter after that. The last of her memories went by without a sound.

When the Reminding was finally over, her knees buckled and her eyes fell shut. Inuyasha pulled her into her arms, hugging her tightly.

"Kagome," he whispered, his nose tucked against her neck. Sesshoumaru and Kouryoku waited patiently and silently as Inuyasha reunited with his mate. Though Sesshoumaru could feel the arrival of more family members to the area, he remained rooted to the spot, only regretting that he would not see Rin's face when she saw her.

_-Inuyasha's Village, Nightfall-_

Rin sat primly at the smoothly polished kitchen table, half-watching the simmering curry in a very fancy-looking pot. It had been almost two hours, and no one had yet returned. She had been hoping to at least have her mate there, but he was with his brother, waiting for Inuyasha-sama's wife, though she wasn't sure why they couldn't just go and fetch her the way Sesshoumaru had done with her. Still, the house made her feel very comfortable, and she was grateful for the chance to distract herself by cooking a meal.

However, she had finished preparing the food half an hour ago, and was now sitting there with nothing to do, half-worried about her mate and half-worried about herself. She even took a few minutes to light the candles and torches leading from the front door to the kitchen, but found herself silently contemplating the grain in the wood table.

A raised voice from the front of the house caught her ears and she perked up, rising to her feet in a rather hurried fashion. Quickly making her way to the front door, her socks sliding against the wood floor, she took a second to straighten her kimono before opening the door.

Though Jaken was also there, climbing up the steps and squawking about how he was cruelly mistreated, Rin hardly noticed him. Next to him, and much more regally stepping up onto the porch, was her youngest child, her daughter, Karran. She was a slender, graceful woman now, her silky silver hair tied neatly in a bun that sat on the nape of her neck. Her hair was decorated with small expensive hairpins, some of which dangled tiny jewels that bobbed around her forehead and pointed ears. Her smooth skin was entirely unadorned, naturally colored for beauty, and her white kimono, not what she usually wore, was painstakingly embroidered with hundreds of tiny gold beads. The gold thread beneath the beads was sewn in a pattern of delicate river flowers, and her gold _obi_ completed the picture perfectly.

The look of happy surprise on her daughter's face was priceless, and Rin rushed forward to embrace her daughter, who was taller than her by perhaps a couple of inches.

"Mama!" she whispered, holding her tightly.

"I missed you so much!" Rin cried, returning the hug just as enthusiastically.

Jaken stood to the side, a rare smile on his face. He didn't stand there for long, though, because his nose caught the scent of dinner and he snuck inside to start eating.

Rin wasn't sure how long they stood there, but once they finally let go of each other, she smiled at her daughter, wiping a tear from Karran's cheek.

"Mother, you look so beautiful," Karran said, holding her mother's hands. Rin smiled gently at this, not knowing how motherly she looked at the moment.

"And you have become even more beautiful than I remember. How have you been?" she said, pulling her daughter inside the house. She shut the door firmly, and both walked very slowly down the hallway, elbows locked.

"I have been very well. My elements master says that I have almost completely mastered the sword that father gifted to me."

"What is it that eludes you?" Rin asked, her eyebrows upturning.

"Fire...I cannot perform all of its powers. My master is not sure why, but...I think I can guess why my mind cannot yet grasp the full meaning behind the Fire attacks," she said, looking to the floor.

"You have not experienced love?" Rin guessed, having hoped that her daughter would have found her mate by then. Karran nodded, her face passive and unreadable.

"I have made love, of course," she said, winking at Rin, who blushed in return. "But never have I been_in_ love," she sighed, closing her eyes.

"You would mate with someone you did not love?" Rin asked, a little pouty in disappointment.

"My demonic body ached for sexual release, mother," she bluntly said. "Did you not think that father probably masturbated until you were of age for sex?"

"Karran! Please don't embarrass me," Rin shushed, getting a smile out of her daughter. _It never ends!_she told herself.

"Did I ever tell you that I accidentally caught Genbu one day, in the forest behind our house?" she said, her smile widening.

"Caught him doing what?" Rin asked, not catching on. Karran rolled her eyes a little.

"_Mother_, I went to fetch him for dinner and he was sitting on a tree root, you know?" Karran giggled, probably still amused by the memory.

"Karran! Why would I want to know that?!"

"I always hold it over him. He was so embarrassed and fell over when he heard me run up. I was only ten, so I didn't understand at the time, but now that I think about it, it was pretty funny."

"Don't remind him. It's embarrassing for anyone to be caught, I'm sure. So, no more talk about it."

"Yes, mother. Where is father?" she asked, her nose sniffing.

"He is with your uncle, waiting for Kagome-san," Rin answered, walking into the kitchen with her.

"Will they return soon?" she asked, gently sitting down on a pillow next to the table.

"I expect them any time now. Would you like some dinner?" her mother offered, gesturing towards the plates of food on the table and the pot of curry on the stove. Karran nodded, watching her mother neatly pile food onto a pretty square plate.

"Are you worried, mother? About the ceremony?" Karran asked, looking at her mother's reaction. Rin merely nodded, patting down a pile of sticky rice. Jaken, sitting in the corner of the room with his bowl of curry, looked up at them with his chopsticks halfway in his mouth. "Don't be. This ceremony will change your life for the better and it will forever eliminate the threat that the Shikon no Tama presents. I promise that you'll be fine," she declared, her hands fisting in her lap. Karran's eyes followed her serene mother as she quietly sat next to her, setting the plate on the table.

"Thank you, Karran," she said, leaning over to wrap her arm around her daughter's waist. "Now eat...or else everyone will inhale it as soon as they get back."

_-The Mansion of the Lord of the Western Lands-_

Inutaisho was only slightly peeved when Toku returned with Ikkatsu, who was sleeping soundly in his arms. Once Toku had her on a futon in a recently cleaned bedroom, Inutaisho met him out in the hall and practically forced the entire story out of him. Toku wanted to see to Ikkatsu first, but Inutaisho was relentless. The day was entirely spent, and the moon was quickly rising to the top of the sky, but Toku managed to explain his situation to his elder brother's satisfaction.

"Are you going to be...in the room most of the next few days then?" Inutaisho asked, a bit upset for several reasons. Not only did it mean that they would probably be doing what he had wanted to do to Yokiri for a year, but it also meant that the house would not be empty when she arrived, and he wouldn't be able to simply make love to her wherever he wanted.

"Yeah, but I promise to stay out of your way. I'll even cook," he offered, knowing that Inutaisho hated cooking.

"You always make everything too spicy," Inutaisho countered.

"Okay, so I won't add so much," Toku said, finding his brother's jealous pout to be very funny.

"All right then. When Yokiri arrives, though, I would like you to meet her...dressed formally," he added as an afterthought. Toku raised his hands in appeal, agreeing to behave. Inutaisho sighed, feeling frustrated.

"Have you eaten?" he asked, looking to his younger brother.

"Yes."

"Good, because I already ate." The eldest turned away resignedly, rolling his eyes skyward before saying, "G'night." Toku watched Inutaisho retire to his bedroom, a few doors down the hall from where Ikkatsu lay sleeping. His shoulders slumping in relief, he opened the door to the bedroom in front of him.

He finally had her alone. Though the day had been long, and though he still had many more obstacles ahead of him in the next two weeks, he had her all to himself. He was surprised to see that she was no longer where he left her. She had been sitting against the wall, her eyes closed, but when he slid open the door, she was immediately on her feet.

The sun had extinguished itself upon the horizon perhaps four hours ago, so only the light of a half-moon lit up the room. The crickets he remembered from his youth were in full chorus outside, and a steady, soft breeze played with ends of her hair.

He removed his shoes and closed the door, the slide of wood-on-wood sounding loud in the room. Coming towards her, the tatami mats muffled his footsteps, and he saw her shy away, but she was otherwise silent. He pulled her tied wrists away from her body and found the knot beneath them, working to remove it.

She spent the next minute concentrating on _not_ noticing the feel of his hands.

"I trust you not to burn down the house," he softly commented, eventually freeing her of the unique rope. Only wanting to have her hands to herself again, she nodded in ascension. Looking up at his face, she unerringly noticed the vague threat in his eyes. What kind of threat it was, she didn't know, but she needed more space between them and walked a bit unsteadily towards the window on the far side of the room, her nervous breathing audible to his ears. He quietly removed his sword, placing it a few feet from the futon that she had laid on earlier. Looking at her again, he saw that she had turned back around, and was watching him apprehensively.

"Nervous?" he asked, and she hesitated in answering, probably not knowing his intentions. Her body rolled and shifted in anxiety.

"W-what happens now?" Ikkatsu wanted to slap herself for stuttering, but she couldn't help it. So many emotions conflicted within her and it had reduced her to a spluttering mess. She wanted to leave this place. She felt like she didn't belong and she knew what _he_ would do to Toku if he ever learned of the dog demon's intentions towards her. Yet, she desperately wanted to stay.

_Toku._ She wanted him and she wouldn't deny it anymore. He was honorable, a prime example of the higher-class demons, and the way he made her feel...

But she couldn't let him into her heart and she couldn't stay there any longer.

_He would kill them all._

"Now? I'm going to mate with you," he replied easily. His hands went to his waist, tugging gently to untie his hakama. Her heart went straight to her throat. She had suspected _something_, but not mating! "We will hold off the marking ceremony until I can officially ask my father's blessing when he returns with my mother."

A panic began to rise within her and she wasn't so sure of what she should do now..._the window_? She wondered how fast he was. Fire demons were fast, but she had heard that dog demons were much faster.

He couldn't make love to her. She wouldn't be able to leave him then. She shuddered as images came to her mind without her consent and backed up a step.

"I cannot. I cannot be your mate," she insisted, glad that she at least didn't stutter this time. "Please just let me go." She lifted her chin a notch, but his face darkened, making her heart sink.

"Why? Is something preventing you from staying here?" he asked, his voice rising as suspicion floated to the surface of his mind. Once again, she hesitated, thinking out the ramifications if she told Toku about _him_.

Toku would undoubtedly confront him and calmly stake his claim on her...and he would kill Toku. She couldn't say tell him...

Hearing her reticence on the subject, he decided to take her ambiguous statement into account...but he_would_ make her his mate, no matter what obstacles lay in the way. With one final tug, his hakama came loose, and he let them fall to the floor. She gasped in surprise, backing up a step. He was still attired in his haori, which sagged open, but not much else clothed him, and he even rolled one shoulder to encourage his shirt to fall further open. Her cheeks blushed prettily as her gaze involuntarily flicked down to what he had bared, and she seemed frozen in place, as if she neither wanted to leave nor wanted to come any closer to him. Either way, he was willing to stand there for her inspection and avoid overwhelming her.

Ikkatsu was at a complete loss. She seriously doubted her ability to flee, even if she really wanted to flee in the first place, but something inside her wanted to stay in that room. He had bared his body to her not as if he were displaying himself, but as if he simply wanted her to see him, and some secret part of her soul was begging her mind and body to stay and see what he would do next.

Her heart was wrenching inside her chest, as if it would rip itself to pieces. With a soft sigh, she looked at his face in the pale light of evening, and then made her move.

Whipping around, she dove for the window, ready to grab the sill, plant her feet on the bottom edge, and then launch herself from the room. She felt the wind rush past her ears, her hair lifting off of her back, and saw her hands reaching for the windowsill. However, she got no further. She felt a pressure on her stomach, and then was suddenly pulled back into Toku's arms. Ikkatsu gasped, disbelieving that she was caught so soon. His nose nuzzled her ear, and his arms held her closer.

"Whatever it is, love...it has nothing to do with tonight," he whispered into her ear. She felt the solidarity of his chest against her back, and the strength in his forearms as he lifted her away from the window. Her hands gripped his wrists for support. Wanting to shout at him, she barely managed to suppress her frustration, letting her mind scream the words instead. _He'll know! As soon as you mark me, he'll know!_

She was stiff in his embrace, certain that he would hit her for trying to run, and she looked at the futon in the middle of the room, expecting him to walk towards it. Surprisingly, though, he walked towards the wall, letting her feet dangle in front of him. His grip on her was strong, but not too tight, and she considered his words again. He had said that he would not mark her that night-not until his parents had returned from their unexplained expedition. So if he did not mark her that night, he would be safe, and she would have another opportunity tomorrow to leave him. Ikkatsu felt like this plan was already doomed to failure, though, because he was determined to mate with her, and she doubted that she would even be the same person afterwards.

When they reached the wall, he set her back on her feet and firmly turned her around to face him. Then pushing her shoulder blades to the wall, he slid one leg between hers, pinning her. Her hands were in front of her in a defensive position, for she still was unsure of his temper. She watched his face, which actually looked calm, and waited for his next move.

His haori now hung low on his elbows, and his long mane of silvery hair spilled over both of his broad, sculpted shoulders. Her palms itched to test the feel of his hair, the texture of his skin, and the warmth of his body.

She put her hands down.

The first things that moved were his eyes. They studied her face for a bit, then the set of her shoulders, which were tense beneath his hands. He slowly squeezed, rubbing his thumbs in circles below her clavicle. His eyes traveled further down, and his voice was a bit rougher when he said,

"Don't worry..." Her shoulders relaxed a bit under his massaging hands, and she let herself take a deeper breath. _'Don't worry,' he says. I have many reasons to worry._

His hands moved down the front of her haori. Sucking in a breath upon the first intimate touch he had shared with her since the kiss in the ravine, she forced herself not to lean into his touch. His nimble fingers splayed over her breasts, which were bound tightly.

Ikkatsu sucked in a needed breath of air, her heartbeat out of control. Feeling something jabbing her hip, she looked down and saw something long extending from his body, but it was hidden mostly by nighttime shadows. She was confused for a bit, wondering if what she had seen earlier had somehow morphed into something else, but his hands were too distracting and she leaned her head back, closing her eyes.

His hands caressed her sides as they moved down, molding over her hips. He leaned forward, nuzzling the bend in her neck, and dropped small kisses along the demonic markings visible at the top of her collar. Her mouth fell open, jaw muscles clenching, wondering how Toku could make her feel this much so quickly when before...with _him_...every touch forced upon her made her stomach turn.

She felt a sharp tug at her stomach and realized that he had pulled apart the knotted belt of her hakama, unmaking it before she could resist. Gasping as her hakama drooped dangerously low, she reached to pull them back on, but they slipped through her fingers, slipping past his knee and pooling on the floor around her ankles.

"Toku," she sighed, feeling his hands on her bare hips. Her haori hung open, making it easier for him to suckle the skin along her collarbone. She felt one of his hands grip the back of her left thigh and move it outward to widen her stance. Then both hands smoothed their way upward, and he leaned back from her to work at the knot on the bindings that kept her breasts hidden from him. He made short work of it, flicking the two free ends aside. Pulling and tugging, his hands quickly unbound her chest, freeing the soft, spongy mounds of flesh. The bindings fell to the floor as well, joining her hakama. Ikkatsu took a deep breath, her chest pushing into his palms. She forced her hands to stay flat against the wall, determined to get through the night without participating-it would be the only way she could leave him in the morning.

Though one of his hands remained to thumb the pink tip to her breast, his other caressed her side again, squeezing and massaging as it went, testing the pliancy of her skin and muscle. She turned her head away when he wanted to taste her lips, but his hand gently brought her face back, and his mouth hovered above hers.

"Kiss me...please," he whispered, his breath spilling over her lips. She inwardly grimaced with pain, having never heard anything said so sweetly. With _him_, every kiss was stolen from her, rudely and roughly taken. She swore that her heart twisted inside her chest, and it was painful to turn her head away again. She could practically hear all of his muscles freeze, and she knew she had hurt him.

His knee came away from between her thighs, and she half-thought that he was going to stop, but his hand quickly swept inside, cupping her. She gasped loudly, having never been touched there before-not even by _him_. He had done much, most of it against her will, but he had never ventured this far, which would chance the wrath of her family. For the first time in her life, she shivered.

"N-no," she unevenly whispered. He pressed a finger between the outer lips, and his other hand pressed her shoulder against the wall, ensuring that she wouldn't be moving too far anytime soon. Ikkatsu bit lightly on her lower lip, her breathing erratic and fast. She heard him shakily let out a breath,

"You're so warm." The pad of his finger did a quick search, finding something he had been seeking. Pushing and rolling a spot, he listened as she cried out, her entire body stiffening. She was feeling a new warmth building up inside and though it was only a tiny trickle for now, she knew it was something she had never felt before.

His finger continued to manipulate her and she couldn't control the little convulsions and clenches of her stomach muscles. The movements varied, from quick rubs to gentle, slow circles, and eventually the pleasure reached a plateau. She clenched her jaw, trying to fight the instincts screaming at her.

"Don't worry," he grunted, his own body screaming at him as well. "_Whatever_ it is, I'll take care of it," he promised, his voice raspy in her ear. She fought the urge to capitulate but little noises escaped her throat. She wanted to trust him and felt like she betrayed her brother by wanting to do so, but she could not deny what her body's natural impulses said-_he shall complete me._

Her body jerked, a cry escaping her throat. She lifted her left leg, bending it and hooking it around his hip. Her head turned towards his, and as her arms slinked around his neck, clutching his shoulders, her lips opened for him, accepting his kiss.

She knew immediately that she had done the right thing. The first real kiss they shared was sensual-demanding but not forceful. The mild warmth that she had felt earlier was intensifying, melting her from the inside. His hand sped up, and she gasped into his mouth, feeling the pleasure reach a higher plateau.

"_Toku_," she achingly sighed against his lips. Her fingers dug further into his shoulders, pulling her tighter against him. He shuddered against her, very relieved and very aroused.

"Hang onto me," he gasped into her mouth. His hands slid behind her back, gripping her hind end and lifting her. Swinging towards the middle of the room, he held her close as he brought them to the futon, and slowly sunk down. He set her down gently, one arm behind her shoulders as he leaned her down 'til her head met the mattress.

Ikkatsu had never felt this alive. Her heart was pounding furiously, and her body ached to have something from him. His hips were lodged firmly between her thighs, and something now rested against the area that throbbed with heat, so she began to get a general idea of what was going to happen. Just imagining it made her breath catch and she wanted to claw the sheets with her impatience.

A wet mouth landed on her collarbone. His weight lifted off her. He raised his head, leaning back, and pulled her arms from around his shoulders, placing her hands on the futon. Now sitting upon his heels between her knees, his eyes studied her body, and Ikkatsu watched him in confusion.

"W-what are you looking at?" she asked quietly, tempted to cover herself.

"Everything," he answered.

"I..." she began, wanting to ask him to stop looking at her. She couldn't get it out, though, too stimulated from watching his steady gaze travel over her bare skin. She stifled a gasp when he leaned forward again. He braced one hand next to her, and the other touched the base of her neck where her demonic markings began. His fingers feathered their way down her body, pausing to flick at her nipples and sweep along the clean line of her sternum. Then rubbing the smooth skin over the flat of her belly, he looked her over again, fascinated by the look and feel of her body.

Her skin was an alabaster pink, smooth and soft. Her markings were soft red flames that licked up her body like an attentive lover. They traveled from her outer mid-thigh, over her hips, flicking out over her abdomen, and then disappeared behind her back. The top edges fanned over her shoulders and ended at her neck, completing the picture perfectly. She moved her legs slightly, bringing him back to reality, and he leaned back again, gripping her hips. She took a deep breath, watching him lustfully.

The scent of her had almost a drug-like effect: the more he had of it, the more he wanted. His palms rubbed down her thighs, circling around her knees and traveling back up. Sweeping over her hipbones, his hands dipped low on her abdomen, heavily petting the more forbidden area. Ikkatsu was panting at this point, her back arching off of the futon. He watched her hands grip the soft sheet beneath her, and he suddenly needed to feel those hands on his own skin.

Reaching for her left hand, he grasped her wrist in his fingers, and her eyes blinked open, looking at him.

"Touch me. I need you to touch me," he roughly whispered, bringing her hand down to where his member jutted out. She hesitantly curled her fingers around him and he groaned, his head rolling back over his shoulders. Sitting up carefully, Ikkatsu tightened her hold slightly, watching his reaction with fascination.

"This...this feels good?" she asked, simply holding him.

"Yeah, but can you...just gently pull...let it slide through your fist and then..._aaahhh!_" he growled, his flesh swelling even more. It felt so good in her hot little hands that he could no longer speak and he had to show her what to do. She was so intrigued by his reaction that she quite willingly masturbated him. In only a manner of minutes, he was gasping for breath and perspiring until little drops of sweat rolled down the line of his back.

"S-stop," he choked out, stilling her hand. He was coming dangerously close to losing it and coming in her hand. His eyes slid open, and he looked at her anxious face. Taking a deep breath, he could tell that she was even more aroused now than before.

"Now," he grumbled, pushing her back. When his weight settled over her once more, Ikkatsu felt that hot trickle of sensation seep down her body again. His mouth met hers and his hand smoothed the hair from her forehead. Her chest tightened and she wondered what this wonderful, poignant feeling was inside her heart. It made her want to cry, but it also made her skin tingle as if it itched. There was a strange restlessness in her blood and a pounding in her veins.

She could no longer stay quiet.

"Please, Toku!" she desperately whispered, pulling her lips away. Her thighs squeezed his hips, and her hands pulled on his shoulders. "Take me," she sighed, embarrassed to admit it, but desperate for whatever it was that his body was promising to give to her. His lips quieted her, his tongue delving deep inside her mouth. She felt his body shift and a blunt object probed where his hands had ventured earleir. Her assumptions confirmed, Ikkatsu groaned against her lover's lips, anticipating what it would feel like.

Toku wanted to shout in exultation-her body was incredibly warm, warmer than his previous lovers. He knew it had to be because she was a fire demon and thanked the gods for sending her to him. He pressed forward, sinking deeper into the wonderful heat.

"_Mmmmff!_ T-Toku!" she gasped, widening her thighs. She didn't know such pleasure could be created between two people. The crux of her thighs was wet from it. The solid, slick feel of what had to be part of him entering part of her... _I didn't know!_

She felt his arm slip beneath her thigh, settling her knee at the crook of his elbow. He pulled his arm forward, bringing her knee closer to her shoulder, and solidly bucked his hips, driving the last of his throbbing member into her. She gasped, her inner muscles squeezing tightly. It was such an incredible full feeling. Toku groaned into her shoulder, only hoping that he could hold out long enough.

It was overwhelming and she loved it. She loved this incredibly intimate act, how his body pressed hers into the futon and how he attacked her senses from every side.

His hips began slowly, rolling subtly and smoothly. Her body rocked gently beneath him, and her little moans and sighs were twisting his gut with urgency, but he kept it slow. Her arms were clenched tightly around his chest, and he felt her other leg come to rest on his lower back. Hearing a catch in her breathing, he sped up slightly, gritting his teeth at the floor.

"Uhhnnn, Toku," she sighed into his ear. After all the resisting she had done with him, Ikkatsu wondered what had made Toku different. Hissing as he rolled his hips into her, she let out a shaky cry.

Toku didn't make her feel dirty. She felt genuine affection from him, and he seemed to know exactly how to make her blood boil. She wondered what _he_ would say if he saw her now. With her legs wrapped around the driving hips of her lover, huffing and moaning beneath him as Toku gave her real pleasure...

"Tighten around me, Ikkatsu," he whispered to her, breaking her train of thought. She wasn't quite sure what he meant, and held him closer with her arms. "The part of me that's inside you...try to do it in time with me," he attempted to explain. She bit down on her lower lip, contracting the right muscles as he drove into her. He growled in her ear and she wondered if she had done something wrong.

"I-" she began, relaxing her muscles again. It was a few more thrusts before he said anything more.

"T-that was it..._uhhhh_, so hot," he gruffly remarked, suckling her neck. She breathed a sigh of relief, clenching her inner muscles as he once again hit a spot deep within her. He groaned against her neck, hitting his hips against her. Ikkatsu felt a surge of power, hearing his adamant approval. The churning inside intensified, like a twisting, burgeoning heat that grew with every thrust.

She felt his lips against her cheek and opened her eyes as he lifted his head, which brought his face above hers. His eyes stared at her, watching her as he pumped his turgid length in and out of her. Although the eye contact took her breath away and made her thighs shake, she felt embarrassed as he watched her and let her eyes flutter shut.

"Don't. Don't close your eyes," he huskily said, landing another kiss on her chin. "Look at me." A small shudder of pleasure fanned outward from where he joined with her, forcing a quivering sigh out of her. Opening her eyes again, she found his golden irises and held his gaze. As his body continued to move over her, bringing her closer to some indescribable goal, she watched him, watching her.

"Toku," she softly sighed, her back stiffening. "_Mmff_...you feel so good!" she cried out, her eyes squinting as moisture gathered over her eyes. She felt a pressure rolling around inside her stomach, tightening the cords of pleasure that tangled together at the top of her thighs.

"That's it..._uhhhh_...that's it," he uttered, speeding up his thrusts.

"Y-yes..._yes_," she groaned. She was gasping for air, needing to scream in her frustration. She could feel everything acutely, hear everything with perfect clarity, and see everything clearly... The gasps and groans of her lover, the light rustling of the sheets beneath them, and the devastating attraction of Toku's charm, face, and body.

"Unh! A-aah! _T-Toku!_" she croaked out, her voice cracking. Muscles that she didn't even know existed began to convulse and shudder, sending out wet waves of love and warmth. Everything was silent for a few seconds, and when the world began to move again, her head was swimming, and the throbs between her legs felt so good. Through watery, half-open eyes, she watched his own ecstasy pass over his face.

"I-Ikka..." he choked out. He shut his eyes, harshly gasping as his body's elixir shot into the hot, clenching smoothness. Her back was arched and rigid, jerking as each jolt of bliss discharged throughout her lower abdomen.

_I...didn't know. Oh, Toku, I didn't know._

He unhooked her leg from his arm and sank onto her, sharing a final, lingering kiss before tucking his nose to the bend in her neck. A relatively long time had passed since his last lover, a cat demon many years his senior. He had thought she was his true mate, despite his father's rather uncommonly vehement protests, and when he asked her to perform the marking ceremony, she laughed in his face. He was only twenty then-his mother was still alive and healthy, though much older than she appeared now. His brothers all wanted to seek fame and glory, and his sister was still learning the basics from his father. He met Kotoko while traveling east. She was already more than a hundred years old. She could best him at swordplay, and knew so much more than he did. He was hot-blooded and thinking back now, Toku supposed that was the only attraction she felt. They had made love, and he had learned a lot from her.

He had thought to prove himself to her by returning with a kingdom and a renewed proposal of marriage, but as he struggled with Genbu to raise an army and defeat the northern kingdom, Toku realized that she didn't love him and never would. The day his mother died, his father, the most powerful demon in probably all of the four kingdoms, silently wept. None in the hallway could hear it, but they could smell the salty tears. His mother had no kingdom, no powers to boast, and yet his father had married her-because he loved her.

He didn't know what would happen with Ikkatsu, but he hoped...

"Toku?" she softly called, turning her head towards his. Her cheek touched his own, and her arms held him a little tighter. He felt her legs move off of his back, and realized that his haori was still hanging from his elbows.

"What?" he answered just as softly. He heard a tiny sound from her throat, as if she were hesitating. "What do you want to say?" he asked, a little louder.

"I...I wanted to ask if I could wait until morning...to tell you," she said, a little vague. He wondered for a moment what she meant. Then-

"You mean, the obstacle? You'll tell me in the morning?" he asked, his heart lightening already.

"Yes," was her simply reply. Toku wanted to shout for joy. She would become his mate and trust in him to help her with this mysterious past that she feared.

"T-...T-Toku?" she gasped, feeling him swell inside her. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong," he rasped out, kissing the lobe of her ear. "Everything is functioning normally."

"Then..." she prompted, needing an explanation.

"Again." With that, he began to move within her, starting off slow. Ikkatsu gasped and then softly moaned, bringing her legs around him again. _Let's hope he fights as well as he makes love..._


	18. Chapter 18

_-Two Kilometers South of The Great Northern Ravine, Late Evening-_

The army had moved fast in the remaining daylight. Though Genbu had been certain that they had a good 8-kilometer lead on the army last night, they must have traveled past sunset and set out again before dawn. By tomorrow morning, they would be at the ravine, and he knew that the only options for crossing would be to spend two months building their own bridge, or to find the bridge 25 kilometers to the east. If they went west looking for a bridge, they would not find one for 32 kilometers.

In any case, the ravine would delay them for about four days, and it was another seven days, if you ran, to get to the main castle of the Northern Lands. For the army, it would take fourteen, so they would be lucky to get there in eighteen days-that is, if they could find the castle that quickly. Not many humans knew the location of the ruling demon's headquarters.

_We'll be ready, and Toku will have returned by then as well._

The army was squeezing through the forest by traveling an overgrown path that once was used by a local village, but now was used only by deer and other small game. From his spying spot amongst the branches of a tree, Genbu looked for the leader of the army, keeping in mind the physical description that he had asked of his mother while he was at home. Several rows of foot soldiers came first, and then a group of horses flanked on both sides by more foot soldiers. There were six men on horses: the two in front carried the flags of their army, the two in back looked like officers, and the two in the middle looked like they were related by blood. The older one matched his mother's description, and the younger one had a nasty wound on his forehead, probably thanks to his father.

Genbu smiled.

He sat there for another half an hour, counting their entire army and all of their siege supplies. With the numbers in his head and a phoenix demon that waited only a hundred yards from the path, Genbu carefully eased away from the solid branch beneath him. Hopping to the next branch, he checked once over his shoulder to be certain that he hadn't been detected, and when he heard no shout of warning, he continued on his way, moving from tree to tree until he reached his ride.

Though the army would take eighteen days, the phoenix demon, when pushed to its limit, could reach the castle by breakfast the day after tomorrow.

"Oi...we've got to push it now. If you go your fastest, I'll feed you an extra bucket of those spices you like," Genbu promised, giving the phoenix demon an incentive. The bird puffed up its feathers at the idea, looking happy, and Genbu swung up to the saddle, patting its neck.

"Let's go."

_-Inuyasha's Home-_

"Mmm! I've missed your cooking, mom," Karran praised, savoring the last bite. Rin smiled, picking up the empty plate. She found that her appetite had fled, but she would try to eat later since it was unavoidable, anyway. Sesshoumaru would force food down her throat if he suspected that she hadn't eaten.

"I'm glad you liked it," she smiled, setting the plate in the water basin near the door. She turned to look at Karran again, but her daughter was already on her feet, leaning over a lightly snoring Jaken.

"I'm surprised Jaken-sama did not fall off of Ah-Un on our way here. His eyes were so bloodshot when he arrived at my master's home," Karran whispered, smiling. Her eyes changed a bit then, and she straightened, lifting her nose into the air. Rin came to her feet as well, her heart palpitating faster. She had learned to distinguish that look on her family's faces-the look of a recognized scent.

"Father is with Inuyasha-sama and what must be his son...and a woman," she smiled, looking to her mother. Rin was already making her way to the front of the house, ready to open the door. She could hear voices and hurriedly pulled the door aside. Inuyasha walked in first, completely ignoring Rin as he carried a woman inside. She was unconscious, dressed in a bizarre fashion, but she was very obviously the same girl who had helped Rin deliver every one of her children.

Inuyasha walked down the other hallway where the bedrooms were located. The next person that came in looked so human that Rin had a visible reaction to him. _Must be Inuyasha's son._ She felt Karran walk up behind her and realized that neither of them had actually met Kouryoku.

He seemed distracted, his eyes fixed upon the corner around which his parents had disappeared. Rin stepped in his line of sight, though, catching his attention.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, bowing. "I am Rin, your aunt," she said, offering him a tentative smile. He seemed a bit skeptical for a split second, but then remembered his manners and bowed in return. She saw her mate enter then, who silently watched the rest of the exchange.

"This is my daughter, Karran," she said. "She's your cousin-well, your quarter-cousin, I suppose," she admitted. Karran hesitated for a split second before she very gracefully bowed, hands clasped in front of her. Her mother watched her warily, hoping that something horrid didn't spill out of her mouth. Instead she remained quiet, much to her mother's grateful surprise. Rin couldn't miss the surprised look on Kouryoku's face, either.

"I am honored to meet you, aunt...Karran-san," he said quietly, not really looking at Rin and mostly looking at Karran. Sesshoumaru looked to his daughter, who appeared thunderstruck by meeting Kouryoku. Reacting on instinct, he stepped between them.

"You should check on your father," he suggested to him, blocking Kouryoku's view of his ravishing cousin. Duly turned away, he took a step back, nodding once to Rin before he walked around the west corner. She noticed the exchange as well, and wasn't really sure what to make of it. Karran disappeared towards the kitchen, and Rin was left standing there with her mate, looking at him with a puzzled expression on her face.

"What was that?" she asked quietly. He didn't answer her for a second, and she couldn't see any particular expression on his face. Stepping closer, she peered around him to look down the hallway that led to the kitchen and saw her daughter sitting down at the table. "Did they recognize each other? Do you think they've met before?" she guessed, poking her husband's side. He looked down at her.

"No, they haven't met, but I do not want her alone with him," he declared, seemingly impassive and blasé about it. She squinted her eyes up at him, knowing when he was hiding something that made him uncomfortable. It finally dawned on her when she replayed the scene in her mind, especially the part where he stepped in between the two gawking children.

"It was love at first sight, wasn't it?" she said beneath her breath, sounding wistful. _The way their eyes held, and the look of surprise on Karran's face..._ "And because he's three-quarters human, you don't want her even thinking of becoming his mate," she clucked, her tone disapproving.

He looked down at her, his mask slipping a bit.

"You have no objections to this?" he asked, the incredulous one now.

"Well...it does seem a bit wrong," she acknowledged. "They are...cousins, after all." Sesshoumaru waved that aside, looking over his shoulder to see if Karran had moved. She was still at the table so he turned back to his mate.

"That does not matter. Their only blood relation is my father, and he was genetically perfect, as am I. Humans are the only ones that suffer the consequences of intermixing among close family members, and on that score, she and he are unrelated entirely."

"That settles it then. They can do what they like," she smiled, unsure what "genetically" meant, but glad that he settled her only misgiving. _Maybe he learned the word from Kagome-san._ He made a frustrated noise.

"I'll not have her marry someone who is almost human," he ground out, his anger showing-one of the few emotions he had no trouble displaying.

"But you married someone who's entirely human," she quietly countered, genuinely hurt. His lips fell ajar as he realized his mistake, and his eyebrows scrunched inward as a rare apology rose to the tip of his tongue. She shoved away from him, though, and made to walk around him on her way towards the kitchen, but he grabbed her elbow, hauling her into his arms.

"Let go of me!" she furiously whispered, trying not to alert their daughter, who could probably see them if she only turned her head. Rin glanced at his face, and suppressed a gasp at the open expression he displayed to her. He looked...desperate. Her feet dangled in the air and his beguiling mouth ventured dangerously close.

"I sometimes forget, but you remind me everyday," he said, his meaning very vague. She continued to push away from him, but he only held her tighter, inexorably pulling her higher against his chest, closer to his lips.

"What are you talking about?" she softly demanded, leaning her head away from his seeking mouth.

"I thought to never tell you this, but...I am no longer concerned about the repercussions and can say that you hold an authority over me that makes you more powerful than I could ever imagine to be. I apologize for doubting that," he whispered, his lips an inch from her own. She was indescribably moved and her body relaxed in his arms.

His kiss soothed and aroused at the same time and she was embarrassed to be so openly affectionate when they were in their daughter's line of sight. Her breasts tingled and the tips tightened despite her hesitance, but she felt him slowly drawing away. Her feet touched the floor again and his arms loosened. He didn't draw back entirely, though and kissed his way to the bend in her neck. She turned her head to look towards the kitchen and was not surprised to see Karran staring at them, but was surprised by how unaffected she felt by it. Karran turned away again just as Sesshoumaru leaned back, his hands gently falling away. Rin looked to her mate.

"I forgive you then," she whispered, looking up at him. He nodded once, a tiny smile sitting on the corner of his mouth, and briefly glanced down the kitchen's hallway.

"Talk to her and I'll see what is happening with my brother," he said, turning to the other hallway. Rin nodded, watching him as he disappeared around the corner.

_-Above the Northern Forest, "Cold Wood"-_

Genbu was bent low over the head of his phoenix demon, which sped over the trees so fast that they blurred. Rocky hills came and passed within minutes. The moon rose high overhead, barely visible behind thick clouds that blocked the stars. He had to reach his commander and prepare their army to counter the formidable siege weapons that were coming their way. Though his commander had orders to fortify the castle, there was no reason for haste in carrying out the order-now there was.

_-Inuyasha's Home, the Kitchen-_

_"I am honored to meet you, aunt...Karran-san."_

Karran had stood there speechless. Something indescribable was happening to her and her physical reaction to it had frozen the words in her throat. Kouryoku was incredibly handsome: long, black hair tied in a high ponytail, a very strong jaw, and beautiful golden eyes. He was the same height as her own father and she could feel strength emanating from him. He wore the traditional clothing she was used to, but the entire ensemble was black, and it not only emphasized his smooth, clear complexion, but also made his eyes stand out even more.

He was a darkly charming creature and she was a fool to think that his looks were not tugging upon her heart's strings.

She could not tear her eyes away, held in his gaze by some unknown force. However, her father had stepped between them and she had blinked, as if released from a spell. Backing up a step, she could hear her father dismiss him and felt a foreboding in her stomach. Shaken, she had walked to the kitchen and sat down.

The look and scent of him, and her response, played inside her mind's eye over and over again. She shifted her legs slightly, and felt a warm wetness that astonished her. Paranoid that someone could tell, she looked to the front of the house and saw her father in a lusty embrace with her mother. When her mother turned her head to look at her, Karran shied away, returning her gaze to the tabletop.

Rin entered the kitchen and noted her daughter's odd silence. Checking the food first, she then sat next to Karran and folded her hands in her lap. She waited for Karran to speak first, but after a couple of minutes, it was obvious that Karran didn't know that she had been so transparent.

"Wasn't it nice to meet Kouryoku after all this time?" she began, not cutting directly to the subject but landing close to it. Karran smiled and nodded, but said nothing. "He's certainly as handsome as his mother is beautiful. I remember Kagome-san when she was the age she is now. I was only eight-years-old at the time, but I have always had a good memory."

"I see," was all Karran said, her voice strangely weak.

"When Kagome-san helped me give birth to Tai-chan, I learned that she had already borne two sons. Yuuki was just a baby, almost a year old and Kouryoku was four," she explained, pausing in thought. "Hmm, I wonder where her other son is. Well, I won't bother her about it-she's obviously going to have enough problems as it is." Karran nodded distractedly, her mind already elsewhere. "I noticed, you know," she said mutedly, leaning closer to her daughter. Karran caught the undertone and looked askance at her mother.

"As far as I can tell, Kouryoku felt the same and I know he's a good boy if Kagome-san raised him. You reacted to him quite visibly. Unless, of course, I'm misinterpreting what I saw. Am I?" she asked, sitting close enough now that their hips touched. Karran's eyes were brimming with tears and Rin wondered why in the world she would be crying.

"I've..." she started, her voice the tiniest whisper. Rin had to listen carefully to catch it all. "I've never felt _anything_ so powerful." A tear fell and she was quick to wipe it away. She looked over Rin's shoulder, as if expecting to see her father there. Then looking directly into her mother's eyes, she went on, "My heart was frozen and wildly beating at the same time. My breath caught inside my throat, and my head was swimming so much that I became dizzy in seconds." Rin watched her daughter slowly close her eyes, her head rolling back as if she were reliving it.

"I was instantly wet between my thighs. It's still damp, even now," she admitted. Rin gasped, completely shocked, and an admonishment formed on her lips. Karran went on, though, not letting her mother talk. "I know it's what I've been missing. I felt it so keenly that it was all I could do to bow to him," she said. She looked at her mother and Rin could see that the exchange, however brief and uncoordinated, had shaken her daughter to the core. A worried look then passed over Karran's face and she leaned forward to speak in a hurried whisper,

"He's almost human and father would never let me near him if he suspe-"

"He knows, Karran, but don't worry about him. You have my blessing and your father will come around. Count on me," she reassured her with a wink. The relief in her daughter's eyes was plain to see and all the tension in Karran's body eased away. Rin pulled her into a hug and Karran set her head on her mother's shoulder, looping her arms around her waist.

"Did I tell you that I like your kimono?" she complimented. Karran laughed lightly and snuggled into her mother's arms.

_-Inuyasha's Home, the Master Bedroom-_

Sesshoumaru found the right bedroom easily with just his ears and stepped quietly into the room. Inuyasha had placed his mate on a large futon covered with furs and strange-looking pillows that had what looked like tassels on them. Sesshoumaru thought of the futon in his and his wife's bedroom at his own estate and felt annoyance as he remembered how bare it was. A single silk sheet covered the girl, who was still in a deep sleep. Kouryoku turned when Sesshoumaru entered, but his expression was unreadable. Inuyasha looked up after a long couple of minutes, still sitting next to her.

"How long will she be asleep?" he asked calmly.

"Rin was asleep until the next day's zenith." Kouryoku took a step forward, looking more closely at his mother. It hadn't seemed like it was she when he first saw her. She smelled the same and mostly looked the same, but she acted differently than he remembered. Then again, she was his mother, not his friend-mothers act differently.

Inuyasha sighed, looking down at her. Brushing away the hair that had fallen onto her cheek, he then stood up and walked around the futon.

"Might as well eat then. Smells good," he said, obviously reluctant to leave the bedroom. They all left quietly and Inuyasha shut the door behind him. They made their way slowly to the kitchen, having to cross the front hall on their way. Sesshoumaru was reminded of the undercurrents between his daughter and Kouryoku and imperceptibly stiffened with annoyance. _It has been a very annoying day._

He unconsciously led the group through the halls and was the first to see his wife embracing his daughter, who looked a bit upset. Karran could hear them coming, he was certain, and it wasn't long before she was sitting normally again, looking as if nothing had happened. The other two didn't seem to notice, for they were discussing what to do with Kagome overnight and all three entered the kitchen within a moment's time.

"Ah, Inuyasha-sama! I hope you like curry. You had the spices. Rather strange bottles, but I assumed that you might eat it. There's plenty for everyone," Rin said, rising smoothly to serve the food.

"Thanks," Inuyasha said, sitting down at one end of the table. Rin was amused to see Sesshoumaru take the other end. Kouryoku took the seat across from Karran, next to his father, and Jaken was still passed out in the corner of the room. She was so interested in the newest development with Karran that her head was constantly swiveling from the curry pot to the table as she dished out two portions. Karran was wisely keeping her eyes downcast to avoid a scene, but Kouryoku was not taking such measures and stared at her as if she were dessert. Setting the plates in front of Inuyasha and his son, she said,

"Feel free to eat the rest. I think I might make up another plate for Jaken, though," she mused, looking to Sesshoumaru, who raised an eyebrow at her.

"If you can rouse him from unconsciousness," he answered.

"Are you not eating, Karran-san?" Kouryoku asked, catching Sesshoumaru's attention.

"I have already eaten, thank you," she answered, fidgeting with the sleeves of her dress. Though Sesshoumaru gave no outward reaction, he wondered where his brazen daughter went. What she said reminded him, though, and he asked,

"Rin, have you eaten?" She was currently shaking Jaken's shoulder, holding a heaping plate of curry in one hand. Jaken's eyes cracked open, showing just how tired he was, but he sat up anyway and wordlessly took the food offered.

"No, but I am not hungry," Rin answered, inwardly stomping with frustration because he had noticed. Kouryoku began to eat, grudgingly taking his eyes away from Karran. Inuyasha seemed too distracted to really notice anything and ate with his eyes on his plate.

"You will eat something. I can hear your stomach rumbling," he pointed out, not giving an inch.

"Inuyasha-sama, will you have enough room for us to stay the night?" Rin asked, avoiding the topic entirely.

"You and my brother can have the room closet to the front. My son sleeps in-"

"Do not change the subject, Rin," her mate affirmed, coming to his feet.

"My son sleeps in the bedroom furthest back. Karran can choose either of the remaining bedrooms. One is next to the master bedroom and one is next to Kouryoku's bedroom."

"I am not hungry!" she pouted, setting her hands on her hips. Sesshoumaru looked inside the curry pot and found it empty. There was still some food on the table, though.

"You are hungry. You just have no appetite. You need food," he explained.

"I'll sleep in the bedroom next to Kouryoku-san...to give you and Kagome-san more privacy," Karran said to Inuyasha, her eyes flicking to Kouryoku.

"I'll eat in the morning," Rin reasoned.

"You will not sleep there," Sesshoumaru said to Karran. "And you will eat now. At least a bowl of rice," he said to Rin, pointing at the pile of rice that still remained on one of the plates on the table.

Rin could see an argument building, mostly from Sesshoumaru's attempts to control things and decided to end it. Walking to the kitchen door that led to the back porch, she motioned for him to follow her and he reluctantly but coolly did so, pretending as if it were his choice to follow. Once they were out of sight, she turned on him, wondering where her cool-headed mate had gone.

"Why are you being so obtuse? I will eat in the morning. You can even feed me if it will calm your ire. Karran will sleep wherever and with whomever she wishes."

"I am not obtuse," he countered, earning a disbelieving frown. "I know that Karran can take care of herself."

"If he breaks her heart, all we can do is be there to pick up the pieces," Rin said, stepping close.

"I know that you are too nervous to eat." He looked to the garden on his right, noticing the stone lamp again.

"So let's just go to bed. You can make me forget why I'm nervous," she whispered, sliding her hands up his chest. He took a deep breath, his gaze returning to her. Thinking for a few seconds, he nodded and they both returned to the kitchen. Inuyasha had only just finished eating and was about to stand up.

"Ah, I'll get your plate, Inuyasha-sama," Rin offered, walking more briskly. He waved her away, though.

"I can wash these dishes. It's the least I can do after you prepared the meal." Rin nodded silently, looking down at the two still seated. Kouryoku was trying to draw Karran into a conversation, but she was resisting, probably because three parents were also in the room. Excusing herself, Karran stood up, kissed her mother's cheek goodnight and said she was going to get some air in the back garden.

"We'll be going to bed," Rin said, bowing to Inuyasha, who was beginning to pile dishes into the water basin. He nodded, wishing her a good night, and she and Sesshoumaru left, headed towards the front bedroom. Kouryoku's eyes were drawn to the rear kitchen door, and Rin smiled to herself as she left.

_-Inuyasha's Home, the Garden-_

Outside, Karran took a few shaky breaths of the cooler night air. In the kitchen, she could feel his gaze on her whenever it roamed near-and it came near quite often. She had felt so warm and wondered idly if the flame of her sword's power was awakening. Borrowing a pair of outside slippers from the back porch, she stepped down to the garden and strolled to the stone lamp in the middle. It really was a very striking adornment, but it seemed out of place. She walked up to it to examine the clean cuts of the head of the lamp and noticed some faintly etched writing along the side facing north. The writing was small and not very deep, but it seemed that the lettering had not aged at all, even though the stone looked at least a couple of decades old.

"_Here lies Yuuki, beloved second son of Inuyasha and Kagome, whose light shall burn here forever_," she silently read to herself. Her father had shared memories with them of his half-brother, all of them bored complaints of Inuyasha's over-exuberance, but the dog demon she saw was the opposite of exuberance. Her shoulders sagged as she realized the source of her uncle's sorrow.

Her mother had thought that the younger son was elsewhere, earning his fame, but he had been here all along, buried in the garden. She swallowed, knowing how it would feel if she ever lost one of her brothers._Kouryoku-san..._

"His was a bright light. Not even death could extinguish that," a voice said behind her. Karran stiffened, surprised and excited at the same time. She was a bit angry with herself for letting down her guard, but his voice was silky and deep, subtly soothing her pride.

A voice in the back of her mind then chuckled sardonically. _You know hardly anything about him, but it's obvious that he knows how seductive he really is._

"I didn't know," was all she could say in response to his statement. She heard the scuff of his shoes as he stepped closer and tried not to react visibly. _I'm no child. I can handle myself around a male!_

"I wouldn't doubt it. Our fathers don't jump at the chance to have any real conversations. I don't think I even met your father until today-at least, not that I can remember." Bracing herself, Karran stood up, turning to face him.

She was grateful that she had prepared mentally, for his looks had triple-effect in the moonlight, which seemed to cup its pale hand around the strong curves of his cheekbones. She saw his eyes widen slightly and hoped that she at least looked composed, if not graceful.

Kouryoku wondered how such a beautiful creature could exist. She was as luminous as he was dark, and the moonlight made her glow with her own inner light. The distracting pins in her hair glinted and teased him to pull them free as the baubles that hung from them danced in the soft tresses of her silver hair.

The silence stretched on for an awkward moment before Karran finally spoke.

"It may be very belated, but I offer my condolences, Kouryoku-san," she said, her voice soft as if trying not to break the tension.

"Thank you. Perhaps we should talk of something else, though, and please, call me Ryo," he offered, showing her a gentle smile that tweaked the dimples in his cheeks.

"What do your friends and family call you?" she said, putting her hands behind her back to hide their slight tremble.

"My father and friends just call me Kouryoku, and my mother calls me Koko," he joked, his smile lopsided. Karran couldn't help it and laughed, trying to keep the sound light rather than her usual boisterous laugh.

"My mother does something similar with my brothers. None of their nicknames are very flattering," she responded, backing up a step and making to turn around. "Let's walk a bit then, Ryo-san." He nodded, easily falling into stride beside her. They began to take a path that led through the back gate of the property.

"Tell me about your brothers." Karran looked at him askance, wishing that she didn't have to be the one speaking.

"My eldest brother is Inutaisho. He's generally quiet-much more reserved than any of his brothers. He looks a lot like your father, actually," she began, looking over once in a while to see if he was getting bored. "I have the feeling, though, that he's got a perverted side to him," she said and wished she could have slapped herself. _Why do I always say things like that?!_ Kouryoku laughed, though, looking at her.

"Honesty is a good thing to hear," he consoled, seeing her discomfort.

"I am not certain, but I believe Tai-chan is at home right now, 'holding down the fort'," she said. Kouryoku nodded. "My second eldest brother is Toku. He's not quite as tall as my father, but he looks the most like him, except for a moon on his forehead-I only have that," she explained, touching the marking briefly.

"I was wondering about that. Our grandfather had a similar mark, correct?" He turned and stopped, looking closely at her forehead. Karran turned as well, blinking rapidly. His hand reached up and she froze in place. His fingertips lightly brushed the purple mark in the center of her forehead, tracing it as her eyes crossed themselves in an effort to watch his hand.

"My father says that it symbolizes a mental power somewhat akin to telepathy. I don't know exactly, though. The only time I felt telepathic was the day my mother died. I could feel her soul leaving her body as we sat out in the hallway."

"A sad day, to be sure. Your mother is a very kind person. Isn't it strange to see one's mother when she's so young?" he asked, going to a more companionable topic. They continued their walk, leaving through the gate.

"Yes, it is!" she adamantly answered. "I wasn't even sure for a moment if it was her! I had this image in my mind of a person with gray in her hair and a kind but sagging smile," she joked.

"My mother looked very trendy," Kouryoku said, confusing Karran. He looked and saw her uncertainty, then laughed at his thoughtlessness. "Trendy like...fashionable for her time," he explained. Karran thought this to be the perfect opening, having heard rumors of time travel from her master, who used to live in this area when Inuyasha and Kagome were still fighting Naraku.

"Then your mother truly is from the future? What year?" she asked, her voice husky with excitement.

"As of this year, it'd be 2065. I don't go there that often anymore, though," he said, glad to have something exciting to talk to her about. He had the feeling that there were few things that would surprise Karran.

"How do you get there? I've heard so many things that I don't know what is true and what is fantasy."

"The infamous Shikon no Tama granted me a boon since I am my mother's son and activates a well not too far from here. I travel through it. In five hundred years, this will be a buzzing metropolis and the well is guarded within a shrine nestled in that metropolis." He took a quick glance and saw how her face was lit up with interest. "Clothing is certainly different, as you've seen on my mother. Everything is different, to tell the truth. I'm not even sure how to explain some of the marvels invented in the next five hundred years."

"Were you educated in this future time, too?"

"Yeah, I went to the schools that my mother chose for me. I hated being there, but my brother made it bearable since he went with me-for a time. I finished high school without him, though," he trailed off. Karran inwardly grimaced and decided to veer the subject.

"High...school?"

"I still wish to hear of your other brother," he said, obviously done for the moment. They were rounding the top curve of the forest path, now on their way back. Their steps slowed, though, delaying the return to the house.

Karran smiled, thinking of her third eldest brother.

"Genbu is...I suppose the best way to describe him is his laugh. It's very hearty, like the joke is the funniest thing he has ever heard. He has Toku's markings, but his face is squarer and his build is a bit heavier. No one can match his sword technique. In a fair fight with all of us, if none of us tired and we had the time, he would win after a few days' fighting," she said, a laugh in her eyes. Kouryoku returned the smile.

"And what of yourself? How would your brothers describe you?" he asked, stopping and turning towards her. Karran hesitated and for good reason.

_Brazen, outspoken, a bit perverted, and certainly randy._ That's how her brothers would describe her. She was the bane of her mother's existence even before she learned of mating, for she always spoke her mind before thinking of her words. Her first lover was a wolf demon, a distant nephew of Kouga, the wolf tribe's leader. It was a hot, sweaty, wonderful act, and though they completed it awkwardly, they certainly got to the crux of why mating was so joyous. She knew that she did not bear the human female curse of feeling pain her first time, and so enjoyed it even more. She and the wolf demon made love many times over the next year, but his parents soon mated him to another. Karran and the wolf demon, having never held feelings towards one another beyond a lukewarm affection, were fine with the arrangement. She was glad to hear that he had taken well with his new mate and that he was already a father.

Between then and now, she had taken several lovers, most of them wolf demons due to a strange string of happenstance, and her longest liaison was six years. She thought it strange that she had never spoken of love, or even thought about it all that often. There was a night when she wondered if she was even capable of love.

Several years had passed since she had taken a lover, and she had spent most of it training with her master, a strange demon meant to devour the souls of those destined for Hell-being devoured was a worse fate, for the soul was wiped from existence. The Soul Devourer was an excellent trainer, teaching her the theory of her elemental sword and then letting her exhaust herself trying to practice it.

Karran, for one of the few times in her life, was at a loss for words, uncertain of what she could say about herself that would flatter without sounding boastful and without revealing her...somewhat perverted side.

Kouryoku, after a long silence, wondered if his question was too probing.

"Shall we return to the house?" he suggested, earning her attention again. She nodded, relieved that she didn't have to explain her personality. They turned towards the house, very slowly walking, and Karran could not contain her next question.

"Why don't you visit the future all that much, Ryo-san?" she asked. Kouryoku looked askance at her, choosing his words carefully.

"The future is...very fast," he slowly described.

"Fast? I...I'm not sure I understand," she said, puzzled.

"It's hard to put into words. The...rhythm is faster. There's more to do and less time to do it in. Communication is _much_ faster."

"You mean, letters?"

"Yes, people still write letters, but...it's easier to make a phone call, for example-err...I guess that doesn't help," he said, reaching up to scratch his head. "Imagine a device in your home: you pick up a part of the device, setting one end next to your ear and the other next to your mouth. Then, set within the device, you push a set order of numbers that correspond to the address of another similar device in someone else's home. The device rings on their end, and when they pick it up and hold it in a similar fashion, you can speak to each other in real time." Karran had been listening intently, and then suddenly jumped with surprise.

"_Really?!_ What a marvelous device! Does it work _anywhere?_"

"Well, yes. You just need the set of numbers and the other person needs to have the device," he said, leaving out the need for telephone lines and satellites to make the explanation simpler.

"But...you say that you dislike the rhythm?" she prodded, getting back to her earlier question.

"So many things are different there-small tasks are made infinitely easier, but that makes room for other difficult chores that no one in this time has to deal with. There are so many more people, too, and you feel closed in, swept up with the rush towards an expedient end."

"I think I am beginning to understand. I doubt that I can ever fully grasp your feelings, though," she quietly said, suddenly feeling naïve despite her age. She calculated in her head that Kouryoku must be fifty-eight-years-old. She was still only forty-one, and though she would be easily halfway through her life if she were human, her demonic blood made her immortal. Compared to her father, she was a baby.

The rest of their walk was spent in silence, but a companionable one. He had been easy to talk to and she began to feel calmer around him, finally.

When they passed through the back gate again, Kouryoku turned to her suddenly.

"Would you like some tea?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine. I think I might like to get a bit of sleep," she admitted, thinking of how taxing the ritual with the Shikon no Tama was to be if her research was correct. _That reminds me...I need to speak with Inuyasha-sama._

"Then would you like to hear more about the future?" he offered, speaking a bit too quickly. Karran caught on and smiled shyly.

"I'll dream of it tonight and then ask you tomorrow if my dreams are correct," she hedged, walking around him towards the house. He slanted a smirk at her, sensing the game she was playing.

"Will you dream of me as well, Karran-san?" he dared to ask, his voice low. She took a quick intake of breath, feeling a warmth spreading downward to the top of her thighs.

"Let us hope so, Ryo-san," she answered, turning away then. He watched her walk back to the house, not certain if he would be able to restrain himself from following her to her rooms. He waited a moment, walking around the garden and distracting his thoughts from the subtle way of her hips. When he felt secure in returning to the house, he patted the stone lamp on his way inside.

_-Inuyasha's Home, the Master Bedroom-_

Having finished the chores in the kitchen, Inuyasha carefully slid open the door to his bedroom. Lips pressed thin and jaw set, he entered the room, sliding the door shut just as quietly. Her scent had already permeated the room, a delicate and feminine allure. She was still lying upon the futon in the middle of the room, though he could see that she had shifted to her side while he was gone. The moonlight coming in through the cracked shutters barely lit up the floor in front of it, but he could see the lines of her face clearly. That's when a knock came at the door.

"Inuyasha-sama? May I speak with you?" a soft voice said. It was his brother's youngest, the one who was going to perform the ceremony with Kagome and his brother's wife. He stepped to the door, opening it. Karran stood on the other side, a hesitant look on her face.

"Am I disturbing you, Inuyasha-sama?" He shook his head, stepping out into the hall and closing the door again.

"I needed to tell you something privately, which is why I did not mention this earlier. It involves a certain preparation before the ceremony can be completed," she began to explain, her voice barely a whisper. Inuyasha became confused, wondering what the hell she was talking about.

"If my research is correct, the soul of the powerful priestess inside the Shikon no Tama will require a sacrifice from my mother and your wife. I cannot be certain at all what this sacrifice will entail, but once it has been given, the priestess will grant immortality based upon answers that they give to her questions. I am fairly certain, though, that their immortality will not be stand-alone. It will be based upon your own. As long as you are alive, she is alive. It's a gift meant only to join your souls forever, whether it's in life or death."

"And the preparation you mentioned?"

"If immortality is granted, it will be like her body is forever suspended from damage, whether it's age, battle, or disease. If she is wounded, the wound will heal very quickly. She will never age and she will never grow sick. This means, though, that if she is yet a virgin after the ceremony, you will have to break the hymen each and every time you mate," Karran explained, waiting for some sort of explosion from him.

"What?!" he whispered furiously.

"And immortality does not come pain-free-each time you mate, it would hurt her," she said, her voice even quieter. Inuyasha's jaw was stiff with anger.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" he asked.

"I will delay the ceremony for as long as you need, but you must take her virginity beforehand. We cannot delay, though, for who knows what foul demons are sweeping towards the Shikon no Tama even as we speak."

"I can take care of them," he said, his control back in place. Karran wanted to say then that another Naraku might appear-or something even worse-but even if he could defeat him, who knows if he could protect his mate and village at the same time. However, the very confident tone of his voice told her that he was powerful enough to do just that and she kept the comment to herself. _And well, father is here, too._

"I would suggest that you take her virginity soon, all the same. Please let me know when you have done so and I will wait a day for her to recover her...aplomb," Karran finished lamely, having tripped over her words far too many times that day.

"Have you told this to your father?" he asked, a bit mocking. Karran ignored the tone.

"If you knew my father, you wouldn't have asked that. He has probably already mated with her more times and in more ways than I can count on my hands," she said, her bawdy nature showing in her words. She saw a faint blush on her uncle's face and inwardly smiled.

"Good night, uncle," Karran said. He nodded and went back into his bedroom. After the door closed, she looked down the way she had come, and softly gasped when she saw Kouryoku idly leaning against the hallway's corner wall. _How long has he been standing there?!_

She gave him a hasty bow and felt a betraying blush creep up to her cheeks. Turning towards her room, she walked around the opposite bend of the west hallway, spying her room on the very end of the hallway. Kouryoku's bedroom was directly across the hall. Once she was halfway down the hall, she felt a chill go up her spine and couldn't tell if she liked it or not. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Kouryoku rounding the corner as well. Her heartbeat picked up and she forced herself not to walk any faster. She wasn't sure if it was shyness or embarrassment or arousal, but her blood was racing. She was rarely shy and never embarrassed, so the obvious conclusion...

Reaching the door to her bedroom, she reached up to grasp the handle. However, another hand followed, one that was attached to an arm covered by a pitch-black haori sleeve. It prevented her hand from pulling open the door and Karran stood there, quietly panting. She could feel the warmth of his body radiating against her back and the spill of breath that stirred the hairs on the back of her neck.

"Come to my room," he whispered, his voice deep and rough. She looked at his hand, covering the back of hers. His skin was only a shade darker than hers, but his hand was so much larger, and she could only see the tips of her fingers. The back of her hand burned from the light touch of his palm.

Then she felt rather than heard him move, stepping closer to her so that they touched. She took in a shuddering breath and her eyes closed.

"Karran," he whispered. She could have sworn that she could feel his lips graze the back of her neck and a shiver screamed up her spine. "Come to my room," he cajoled. "I know you felt it, too. Even now...ahh, my sense of smell doesn't lie, Karran," he said, a smile in his voice. She felt a blush suffuse her cheeks, somehow upset to know that the demonic blood in him had given him the same keen sense of smell that it had given her-for it was obvious that she was wet again.

Karran knew herself to be a passionate creature, but she had never given herself to another so quickly after meeting him. She had been friends with her first lover for several years before they made love and the shortest time she had known a lover before mating with him was a few months. Her only hesitation now was that she would feel as if she gave her favors easily.

But then again, it had been so long and she wanted Kouryoku more than she had ever wanted anybody.

"Ryo..." she said, her voice barely audible even to her own ears. Her gasp, though, was loud enough for him to hear when she felt a bulge pressed against her backside.

"Just nod and I'll do the rest. Come," he said, and she felt his lips touch the tip of her left ear.

Karran nodded.

_-Inuyasha's Home, the Front Bedroom-_

Rin fell back to the futon, covered with a fine mist of sweat and gasping for air. Her body was flushed, shuddering with aftershocks of pleasure. She was quickly covered by her mate's body, which followed her down.

"Are you distracted yet?" he asked, his voice gruff. She softly moaned as he penetrated yet again.

"What?" she asked in reply. He smiled down at her, kissing away the confusion that scrunched up her eyebrows. Moving over her, he whispered,

"Never mind."

_-Inuyasha's Home, the Master Bedroom-_

He had considered sleeping in the corner so that she would not be surprised to see him next to her when she woke up, but the temptation was too great for him to deny. Inuyasha shrugged off his outer coat and set it on a low cabinet in the corner of the room. Then, sliding under the sheet with his mate, he curled close behind her, curling his arm over her side and finding one of her hands with his own. No unusual noise or scent came to him and he drifted off to sleep.

_-Elsewhere-_

The overpowering pull of the Shikon no Tama called and he would be a fool not to answer it. Everyone had whispered that it was destroyed, but it had reappeared yet again. Leaving his nest, he took to the skies, his demonic instincts telling him which direction to take.


	19. Chapter 19

_-Inuyasha's Home-_

Karran stood in the middle of Kouryoku's bedroom, her heart racing, and watched as he lit the indoor lanterns hanging on the walls. His room was just as lushly furnished as the rest of the house: a futon with thick blankets and almost a dozen pillows; cabinets and tables with a jet-black polish; delicate paper lanterns that hung from wall posts jutting out of the corner between the wall and ceiling. The lanterns projected a soft light that amplified the dark highlights in his hair. When he turned to her, Karran's heart went to her throat, and it took an immense amount of willpower not to throw herself to the futon and beg him to take her.

She saw his mouth open slightly and wondered if he was going to say something. He seemed to think better of it, though, and his lips closed again. His powerful gaze bored into her and the core of her body pulsated in response. The tendons in her body tightened just looking at him. He slowly raised one hand, lifting it to the back of his head, and tugged on the tie that bound his hair into a high ponytail. The tie easily released his hair, and it fell in waves down his back like a bolt of silk. She thought it to be a hint that she was supposed to undo her hair as well, and lifted her hands to begin taking out the jeweled pins.

"No," he said, his whisper emphatic. She paused, now confused, and lowered her hands. "I'll unbind your hair, Karran," he said, making his voice a caress as he said her name. _That's right...he said he would do the rest._

She had never had a lover who wished to be completely in control. It often came down to her to be the creative one, the aggressive one. Seeing that she would not have to take that role made her skin flushed and her aching center soaked with need. She saw him take a deep breath through his nostrils, and then saw his reaction to the scent of her body's passion. His golden eyes darkened to the color of honey, and his fists clenched. He took a step forward, now standing at the foot of the futon, and Karran could no longer help herself. She walked forward, stopping a foot away from him.

They studied each other for a short minute, prolonging the inevitable and savoring the moment. She heard the soft rustle of his sleeves as his arms slowly moved forward, his hands sliding around her wrists and bringing them up between their bodies. He positioned her hands palms-up.

Then reaching up to the silky hair trapped close to her head, he began removing the pins one by one, setting them in her hands and watching as tendrils of hair fell down and bobbed around her shoulders. When all of the pins were out, he gently pulled free the knot in the expensive white ribbon that held the bulk of her hair in place. It was like watching a waterfall at night. Shimmering hair that looked almost liquid spilled down her back. He couldn't help himself and combed his fingers through it, marveling at how soft it was. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his hands running through her hair. It was like being petted.

When he brought his hands away, he took the pins sitting in her hands and laid them in a neat pile next to the futon. He then turned back to her, still sitting on his hindquarters in front of her. He looked up and watched her cheeks rise in color again. Her arms were close to her body, and a bit of her hair fell forward over her shoulder. He rose slowly, holding her gaze as he stood. His body was graceful but moved powerfully, like an animal rising from its haunches.

She shifted restlessly and her heart pounded. He finally leaned down as if to kiss her and she lifted her mouth in acceptance, her eyelids falling shut of their own accord. However, his kisses landed on her jaw line, moving down to the bend in her neck. She felt his hands behind her, pulling on the ties that held her obi together.

She tasted sweet and exotic-like vanilla with a hint of cinnamon. He wasn't sure if it was her skin or some sort of soap, but he would bet a body part that her skin naturally secreted the intoxicating taste. He licked and sucked at the skin of her neck, feeling each of her shivers and hurriedly untying the _obi_ that held her kimono together. When the piece of cloth finally fell away, he tossed it behind her, not caring where it landed. His mouth wandered lower, his tongue outlining the slight protrusion of her collarbone and his hands gently pushed the kimono off of her shoulders. He could feel the quick beats of her heart beneath her supple skin and eased the kimono past her arms, grateful when it finally fell to a heap at their feet.

Karran had never been this sexually excited in her life-not even her first time. She could barely stand even now. His mouth was expert, hot and slick against her heated skin. She still wore her _juban_, but only a simple belt kept it on.

He lifted his head, looking down into the dilated eyes that had changed to a burnt amber color. He watched her breasts lift with every breath, and his groin ached to hasten the pace. He could sense her impatience and admitted to himself that he wished to go much faster, too. Normally, his first time with a female was fast and dirty, but with Karran he wanted to take it slow.

Before he could think of how he wished to begin, she threw her arms around his neck, pulling his mouth down to hers. She made a small cry right before she plunged her tongue between his lips, drawing his tongue into her mouth with the suction of her own lips. He eagerly returned the kiss, holding her tightly against him with his arms around her back.

The sound of a gentle breeze and the ambient noise of a quiet night were drowned out by the deep breaths they took through their nostrils and by the wet sounds of their lips meeting very intimately. His neck strained to press harder against her soft, succulent mouth, and his body blasted into full arousal. He wanted to go slower...and it was painful to rip his mouth away.

"Mmm...Ryo. Ryo, kiss me," she said, clinging to his shoulders. "Kiss me until I can't stand!" she urged, her voice a bare whisper. Their gazes met and he couldn't deny the plea in her eyes.

"Oh yeah," he groaned. Their mouths came together again, attacking and responding in perfect sync. He slanted his lips over hers again and again, and she moaned against his mouth as his left hand rubbed over her hip. He squeezed the back of her upper thigh, just beneath the soft flesh of her posterior. His other hand rubbed tiny circles into the small of her back.

The room had felt a bit cool earlier, but now the air felt blazingly hot, and she poured the heat from her body into the kiss. She wished she could simply jump up, wrap her legs around his waist, and have him take her there, standing up in the middle of his room. Or he could prop her against the wall, or he could set her on the edge of a cabinet. _Anything_ was better than where they were at the moment. The kiss was divine but her body was incredibly frustrated.

When he took his mouth away, gasping for air, she drew her lips along the strong line of his neck. His face turned upwards for a few breaths, and she took the opportunity to lick the little dip between his collarbones.

"Your skin tastes like some sinful dessert. The flavor burns my tongue, but I only want more, as if I would consume you," he effused, pressing his lips to her temple. His racing breaths gave his softly uttered words a raspy quality. She brought her head back, looking up at him, and his eyes never left her mouth. She could almost agree, having tasted something indefinable on his skin-like the kind of confidence that few beings (human or not) could lay claim to. She watched his eyes, wondering what he would do next.

He steered her to stand upon the foot of the futon with her back to the pillows at the other end. When his eyes finally rose to return her gaze, her knees weakened at the brazen lust in his incendiary gaze. She felt a slight pressure against her stomach and looked down to find his hands deftly loosening the knot in the belt of her _juban_. She couldn't help the low moan that escaped her throat and looked back up to find a small smirk sitting on the corner of his mouth. His hands came up to spread open her _juban_, his fingers brushing along the tops of her breasts as the material was pushed aside.

The smirk fell away as his lips parted in awe. The _juban_ slipped from her shoulders like water, landing silently on the futon. Her skin was without blemish, and her shape was full yet willowy. His eyes drank in the beauty of her body, and it was suddenly much too warm in the room to be wearing clothes. He licked his lips, looking at the breasts before him, and when his eyes traveled further down past her smooth abdomen, his primal instinct to take her was roaring inside his head.

"Beautiful," he breathed, reaching forward to slide his hands over her gently flaring hips. She took in a deeper breath, closing her eyes.

The tension in the room was palpable. Beneath her outer appearance, her body was trembling with excitement. His hands moved slowly, testing the texture and pliancy of the skin on her waist, stomach, and back. She made a small noise when he gripped her posterior, but her cry of surprise at the feel of a bulge pressed against her was smothered by another kiss.

She clung to him as he bore her down to the floor. The futon was thick and the pillows were soft beneath her upper back. Her legs automatically parted to make room for him. However, the kiss grew lighter, and he began to pull away.

"No, please," she softly begged, watching him stand back up. She didn't bother to close her legs, hoping the sight would give him more incentive to speed up the pace. He swallowed visibly, his eyes drawn to the one place where his body wanted to go the most. When she saw that he was beginning to remove this own clothing, an aching, animal-like sound burst from her mouth as she leaned up on her elbows.

"_Ohhh_...just looking at you makes me dripping wet," she rasped, choking in embarrassment once the words were out. "_Ah!_ I-I mean-" she stuttered, falling back to the pillows again with her hands over her mouth. He laughed lightly, starting to understand.

"You can talk any way you want around me, Karran, especially if the things you say refer to how wet you are," he gruffly answered, a hungry smile in his eyes. His hakama dropped to the floor and he kicked them aside, throwing open his haori and tossing that away, too. The cloth over his pelvis came away easily and was thrown aside just as easily. Karran stared at him hungrily, knowing that he would fit her _exactly_ the way she liked it.

"It's perfect," she sighed, sitting up to reach forward and touch him. He hastily backed away out of her reach. The hurt that passed over her eyes elicited a prompt explanation.

"If you touch me, I have no doubt that I would come right now. You have me too excited, Karran. Like a young pup with his first female," Kouryoku explained. He saw her relax and she lay back once more, her eyes never leaving his body.

"Then come to me, Ryo. Spend yourself inside me," she begged. Her arms lifted above her head to lie on the pillows, which thrust her breasts forward. A full body shiver ran through him. He fell to his knees and then braced himself over her, letting his mane of dark hair fall onto her pale skin. Though he wanted to spend more time sampling the different tastes on her body, waiting any longer would kill him.

He hooked his hands under her knees, pushing them towards her shoulders, and then brought one hand down to socket the head of his arousal in the well of her body. He could hear her panting harshly, and realized that he was also breathing heavily.

She looked so sexy, lying there with her knees back, her feet up, and her eyes hungry for him. Her hands were restless over the pillows near her head, and she licked her lips, squirming a bit beneath him. "Karran," he whispered, driving forward swiftly. She cried out, her leg muscles clenching and her hands gripping the pillows. Seated deeply, he fell forward over her, his forehead touching her own, and gasped for air as if he had been injured. "_God_, I could come right now!" he moaned, pushing deeper. She knew that he was near the edge, but couldn't fault him for it...because she was near the edge, too.

They both wanted it too much.

She felt his hands groping around for hers, and met them halfway. His face finally lifted, and his honey-colored eyes watched her as he began to move. Her head rolled back a bit, keeping eye contact. "This is impossibly good," she gasped out, gripping his hands tighter. Pumping her legs in the air, she bucked against him. He groaned in reaction, jaw clenched.

He began to swell inside of her, and she bucked even harder, crying out with every breath. It had never felt like this. She had never been as wet, as hot, or as aroused as she was at that moment. His speed increased, his hips slamming down against hers.

"Ah! AH!" he grunted, his voice hoarse with strain.

"_Now_, Ryo!" she cried out, feeling her body rapidly rising to its peak. "_Now_!" she screamed. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, moaning into his ear as she drenched his phallus. He growled in response, gnashing his teeth and letting out a muted roar as he burst inside of her. His hips jerked and made small thrusts, frothing up their sexual liquids.

"Karran..._Karran_," he moaned, sliding his arms under her and holding tightly. She gasped for air, wincing from the pace of her heartbeat. The air sawed in and out of her lungs, and the only sound in her ears was the pounding of her heart and the harsh gasps of her lover.

After a minute's rest, she came to realize that he hadn't softened inside of her. She had halfway expected him to since he was mostly human and since one of her previous lovers did not have much sexual stamina, but Ryo truly was descended from the same grandfather as she if he was able to go a second round.

"You're...wonderful," she sighed, brushing a few hairs away from his temple. His lips tickled as he kissed her shoulder.

"I was worried for a moment that I would not be able to wait for you. You're certainly humbling me," he answered, licking her neck.

"But you're still hard, anyway...it would not have mattered."

"I was raised to be a gentleman, and to me, a gentleman brings his lover to climax first."

"Mmm, we are lovers now, right?" she asked, though it was more of a rhetorical question. He brought his head up, looking directly at her.

"But I am still ashamed that I could not give you more foreplay for our first time. All I could do was take you," he uttered, regret on his face. Karran lightly laughed, a bit amused.

"Ryo, if that's how hard I come when you're not able to try your fullest, then I think you might kill me next time," she said, trying to console him. His face lost its harshness then and she smiled up at him. "You can make it up to me now, if you want," she whispered. He nodded, licking his lips, and began to move again.

_-Inuyasha's Home, the Master Bedroom, Morning-_

Kagome took in a deep breath, smelling the familiar scents of breakfast. She might have been happy to lie there a bit longer, too, if it weren't for the incredible migraine shooting through her brain. She became aware of a weight on her back and side, the weight of someone lying behind her with his arm over her body.

"Inuyasha..." she whispered, opening her eyes. The half-demon behind her began to shift, coming awake in response to the sound of her voice.

"'Morning, Kagome," he said into her hair. She bolted upright, startling him, and quickly backed away from the futon. "It's okay, Kagome. You're safe here," he tried to explain.

"Safe? Then why am I sleeping in your bed?" she challenged, pouting angrily at him.

"Because you're my wife," he calmly replied, lying back on his side. She looked down at his body, only half-covered by the blanket. He still wore all of his clothes except for his outer coat, but his inner coat had fallen open in sleep, revealing some nicely toned flesh; the same flesh she used to touch while they made love...

_Made love?! What am I saying? I may have been his lover in a past life, but I am no one's lover now._

"I am _not_ your wife," she said, despite the pangs of hurt she felt by denying it. The memories that she had re-lived last night were good and bad, but the bad memories were simply too much to bear. She had lost a child, had fought against the worst of demons for a long time while barely an adult herself, and had alienated the one person that she had loved the most. She did not want to return to that life.

"How can you say that?" he asked, now sitting up as well.

"That other life was horrible. I don't want to pick it up again!" she exclaimed, sweeping one hand to the side in a negating motion.

"It was the happiest time of my life and you call it horrible?" he said, much too calmly. She could remember when his temper was quite terrible, not this calm persona that he now displayed.

"But..." she said, her shoulders drooping. "Yuuki..."

"Yes, what happened to him was devastating, but Kouryoku still lives. He told me that even in your time, children still die."

"They aren't slain and ripped to shreds by demons!"

"No, in your time, it's done by other humans instead." Kagome swallowed a sob, having no answer to this, and fell silent. "Didn't you ever think that I was devastated as well?"

"It's not the same for you as it is for a mother!"

"I was his parent, too!" he asserted, his voice angry for the first time. Kagome looked away from him, tears in her eyes. "And you were so caught up in Yuuki's death that you often forgot about your other son," he accused, his voice back to normal.

"That's not true!"

"It is true and you know it." She looked back at him, the guilty truth in her eyes.

"I...I wish he hadn't died," she said. The tears in her eyes began to slide down, leaving wet trails of sadness to line her cheeks.

"So do I," he quietly agreed.

They were silent for a minute after that, simply looking at each other. Then she asked,

"I was terrible to you after Yuuki passed away. Why would you want me back?"

His answer was immediate.

"Because I love you.

Kagome broke down, sobbing into her hands. He crawled to her, pulled her up to her knees and wrapped his arms around her shaking form.

"I'm so sorry, Inuyasha!" she cried, sliding her arms around his neck. He shushed her as best as he could, rubbing her back, but she only cried harder. He lifted her up, keeping one arm around her back, and lowered his other arm to wrap around the backs of her thighs before standing. Turning back to the futon, he laid her down and made to draw away to give her time alone.

"No, don't leave! P-please stay with me," she blubbered, her eyes red-rimmed and her eyelashes spiky with tears. He nodded and laif down next to her. She immediately snuggled into his arms.

"It's all right, Kagome. I'll stay with you forever."

_-Inuyasha's Home, the Front Bedroom-_

"Sesshoumaru?" Rin asked sleepily. She lay mostly beneath him, but had enough space to at least breathe. He turned his head towards her, his eyes very alert for so early in the morning.

"What is it, love?" he asked. She made a small smile, taking a deeper breath. He realized too late that her fingers were poised above the base of his neck. She swept them down and the warmth that shot to his groin was enough to make him hiss at her.

"How do you want me?" she asked, working her teeth over her lower lip to stifle another smile. He gave her his telltale half-smile.

"Turn on your side. I'll have you from behind."

_-Sesshoumaru's Mansion, the Same Morning-_

Toku woke up, unusually happy, and felt the bed in front of him for a bit of soft flesh...but found none. Opening his eyes, he looked around for Ikkatsu, but she wasn't in front of him anymore. Turning towards the window, he breathed a sigh of relief, seeing her at the window. She was gazing out at the trees colored red by the rising sun.

"G'morning," he said, startling her somewhat. She looked at him only for the briefest second before turning back to the window. He saw that her mood was melancholy once again, either thinking of her sister or of this obstacle she had mentioned.

"Aren't you going to wish me a good morning as well?" he asked, coming to a stand despite his nudity. Her eyes closed, as if annoyed, as she turned with her mouth open to say something.

"Why do you have to be so ch-" she began, and her eyes opened. Her mouth immediately stopped, seeing him walking towards her with absolutely no clothes on. "W-w-wait a minute! Why aren't you wearing anything?" she rambled, shutting her eyes and covering them with her hands at the same time.

"It's what happens when you spend the night making love to a beautiful demon," he supplied, having reached her side. She turned away, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Well, I-I managed to put on some clothes!" she said angrily, bringing her hands down again now that it was safe.

"I wish you hadn't, but it'll still be fun, I suppose, to take them off of you again," he teased, setting his hands on her shoulders.

"A-again?" she asked, incredulous. "I thought...I thought husbands wanted that from their wives only once in a while."

"Where would you get an idea like that?" he asked, now confused.

"It's what my mother said," she explained, reluctantly enjoying the feel of his hands on her shoulders.

"I feel bad for her, then. Your father must not have had the sex drive that I thought infamous for all fire demons."

"I think he simply umm, spread himself around more, if you understand my meaning," she hinted. He made a sound of agreement, kneading her shoulders.

"Well, my parents raised me to be monogamous, so have no fears that I will stray from you, Ikkatsu," he promised. She stifled a surprised noise. _Monogamous?_

They stayed silent for quite a while, each contemplating the strange colors cascading through the canopy of leaves. She found it to be rather pleasant here, with someone kind and gentle massaging her shoulders. It was quiet, content...peaceful.

She hated to ruin such a morning.

"I need to tell you several things today," she began. "So if you would...please put some clothes on." She felt him stiffen a bit behind her, but he moved away, and she heard the rustle of clothing as he slid into it.

"Alright," he said softly, and she turned to find him seated on the futon, looking nonchalant and relaxed, but she knew he was tense inside. _Do I know him so well already? I must be fooling myself._

"You threw me into this relationship so quickly, but I'm telling you now that I'm going to have a say in it."

"Of course. I didn't plan to dictate everything. My mother has more sway in her marriage than even my father will admit to," he joked. Ikkatsu frowned, as if upset that he interrupted her.

"Your offer is very flattering, but I'm not going to be the gushing wife you expect. I'll bear children, raise them, and support you, but do not expect me to love you," she asserted, coming to a stand. His eyebrows came together and he made to stand up as well.

"When did I command your love? I expected you to come to it slowly, to try. Am I unlovable?" he asked, his hands fisting as he stood to his full height.

"I didn't mean it that way. I'm trying to hold onto myself here!"

"Did I ask you to be something else? I don't want something different!"

"But your father killed my brother!" she screamed.

"Then don't fall in love with my father! Fall in love with me..." he said, his voice losing its harshness. "Your strength, your perseverance, your determination... I fell in love with you because you are a survivor. It's so rare to find that these days."

She stood there, mouth open, and blinked at him.

"You...love me? Already?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"I would not offer marriage to someone that I couldn't love, even if she made a good mate."

Ikkatsu flopped back down to the window seat, staring off to the side with her mouth still agape. She swallowed and pressed her hand to her chest, checking the beat of her heart.

"Are you alright?" he asked, walking to her again. He knelt next to her, placing his hand on her arm.

"You're strong, aren't you? Strong enough to beat anyone?" She looked at him, tears in her eyes.

"Is that it? Is there someone after you?" he asked, leaning forward.

"He's not exactly after my head, but he was the one my father promised me to when he was still alive. My mother objected to the match, but... Zannin is his name."

"Heh...nice name," he lightly joked.

"He was always trying to force himself on me when he was in residence at our home. He never did much more than steal kisses, slobbering on me like a..." she paused, smiling to herself. "Like a frog?" she corrected, looking at him.

"Nice recovery."

"About a year ago, when my mother passed away, he wanted me to stop 'dodging the marriage'."

"How did your parents die? I thought fire demons to be immortal to age and disease, like dog demons."

"We are immortal in the same sense. Mother was killed by an ice demon from the far north who was settling what he called an 'old debt'. He left us before we could work up the courage to ask him about it. Four years ago, my father was killed by a group of demon slayers who were protecting a village. He never could resist pillage, even though that tradition fell out of favor in our clan more than 100 years ago.

"Anyway, Zannin caught me behind the house, demanding that I complete the marking ceremony with him, but I said that I was not finished mourning for my mother. So, he put this on me," she said, turning and lifting her hair out of the way. A small symbol was burned into the back of her neck, as if drawn by the tip of a hot knife.

Toku recognized it and was only grateful that it was reversible. However, now he knew why she was wary of taking on a mate: the spell etched into her skin was like an alarm. If the marking ceremony were performed, the burn would fade but Zannin would know exactly where she was and would know that she had performed the marking ceremony, but not with him.

"How long do you think we would have until he finds us?" he asked, plans swirling in his head.

"If we performed the ceremony now...maybe until evening." He nodded and stood up.

"I'll be back in a moment."

He left the room and she sat there pensively, looking around at the place. It was sparingly furnished, but the mansion was truly glorious. Though the normal architectural extras were gone, it made sense. After all, the Demon Lord of the Western Lands was not rumored to be inclined towards frivolity.

When Toku returned, his face held much thought as he softly muttered to himself. She wondered if he had spoken to the other person she could hear moving around the house.

"Someone else is here, right?"

"Uh, yes, my elder brother, Inutaisho. I'll introduce you to him shortly. He will be bringing his beloved here soon, an owl demon by the name of Yokiri," he said, closing the door again.

"Y-Yokiri? The only daughter of Fukurou-sama?!" she asked, shocked.

"Yes, actually. It seems that my siblings and I have a penchant for being attracted to the strange and sometimes unattainable," he said, smiling. She turned to the window again.

"Inutaisho? Is...is that his title?" she asked, confused.

"No, it is his name. My mother thought it was appropriate at the time, but my father is still the leader of the dogs."

"I see. So what is the plan?"

"Concerning Zannin?" he asked.

"Well, yes, concerning him."

"At the moment, you and I will perform the Marking ceremony, so take off your clothes."

"N-now?" she stuttered.

"I was never a demon who liked to put off the inevitable. Besides, I've been aroused from just looking at you for the past twenty minutes," he said, giving her his knowing smile again. He began to shuck his clothing and she shifted restlessly on the windowsill, feeling the same itch between her thighs that he had invoked in her so many times last night.

She stood as well and began to untie her clothing. _It's strange, being sexually excited and scared for one's life at the same time..._

_-Inuyasha's Home, the Master Bedroom-_

Kagome had been quiet for a good five minutes, having spent the past twenty crying her eyes out on him. Inuyasha actually was almost asleep when she said his name.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"I...can I stay here with you?" she asked mutedly.

"Of course. I built this house for you," he confirmed, patting her back comfortingly.

"You did?" she asked, a bit surprised. "You built it?"

"With Kouryoku's help. He had to exchange money for all the goods used and he helped out when I didn't understand something. Modern construction is...very complicated."

"It's a lovely house. A house in which to...raise children," she hesitantly said, and immediately felt his arms tighten around her.

"Do you mean it?" he said, his voice rough.

"Yes. After Yuuki died, I was too afraid to have more children, but...I think it's time to have another, right?"

"Want to start now?" he asked, pulling her closer. She looked up at him, and though her face was already flushed from crying, it was obvious that she was embarrassed.

"Y-you mean, have...have sex right now?" she said, whispering the word 'sex.'

"Was I that bad at it?" he laughed, his voice husky.

"I don't mean that...as far as I can remember, you were rather good at it. It's just...aren't there other people in the house?" she said, looking over her shoulder at the door.

"I don't really care about making noise, but if you want, I promise to be quiet," he swore, trying to push his knee between hers. She let out a frustrated noise.

"I know this sounds cliché, but...I'm not really 'in the mood' right now. I just cried all over you, my head hurts, and I'm overwhelmed...oh, _no!_ M-my parents are probably worried sick!"

"If you wish, we can go to your time today to let them know that you're safe," he reassured her. She breathed a sigh of relief, her body relaxing somewhat. She wondered what time it was. _Probably mid-morning._

"I'm still so tired. What did you do to me?"

"I haven't done anything yet," he said defensively.

"I mean, last night, when you first saw me and touched my face. What did you do?"

"It's called the Reminding. Didn't I tell you about it before?" he asked, looking at her quizzically. She seemed to think for a minute and then her eyes widened a bit.

"Oh, yeah...a way to store my past memories in a corner of my soul. I-isn't that what you had said?"

"Something like that..." They were quiet again for a few seconds before he said, "I missed you. In a lot of ways."

"Did..." she began, but fell silent.

"Did what?"

"Did you 'see' other people?" she asked.

"Well, yeah, all the time. Kouryoku hung around mostly, and I got to see Shippou a few times-"

"No, I mean...did you h-have sex with other women?"

"No! Why would I have sex with anyone else?"

"I-I don't know! You were alone for sixteen years, not including all the years I turned you away from my bed and all the years I was old and sick. I thought that, well..."

"You're the only woman I'll ever make love to, Kagome. No one else makes my blood run hot the way you do," he whispered, looking down at her averted eyes and her blushing cheeks.

"O-oh...I see," she answered, her hand playing with a few strands of his hair behind his back.

"How about this then..." he suggested, his voice turning nervous. "Give me five minutes to get you 'in the mood', but if you're still not interested after five minutes, we'll get you some breakfast and then go to your time to see your parents."

Kagome looked up at him. His eyes were pointed to the side at the ceiling and he wore the same blush on his cheeks as she.

"Will you be mad at me if I'm not?" she asked with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"No. Like you said, you're tired. I'll understand. It's just... There's a lot going on right now and being with you like this makes it seem like it'll all be okay," he explained, hoping it made sense.

"I'm a virgin. You know that, don't you?" she asked, curling a bit into herself. He looked down at her again, into her deep brown eyes.

"I know," he whispered. Her lips parted on the intake of another breath and he lowered his head, catching her unprepared.

"Mm!" His hand found the side of her face and curved around her jaw, encouraging her to open it as he reminded himself of the taste of her lips.

To be kissing her again after so long was heaven. His heart pounded and he was sure that she could feel his rapid heartbeat since she was pressed so tightly to his body.

Kagome was overwhelmed almost immediately. His taste in her mouth, his heartbeat against her hand, a familiar hardness against her pelvis. She felt his knee nudging against her again and let it slip between her thighs. He immediately pushed her onto her back, and she sucked in a needed breath of air when he lifted his head to begin undressing her.

"Kagome," he whispered as he jerked on the ties to her leather corset and tugged it out from under her. He then pulled up on the hem of her shirt. "Lift your arms," he gruffly commanded. She did so, though a bit hesitantly, and her shirt was flung a few feet away. His mouth practically salivated at the sight of her bra, for it was as sheer as if it didn't exist.

"I remember these things actually being hard to see through," he commented, finding the familiar clasp in the back through touch.

"M-many still are. I just...I just liked this one because it made me feel sexy," she clarified, closing her eyes as her cheeks burned bright red. The bra was pulled away and anything the filmy material distorted was clear for the eye to see.

He immediately leaned down, on a deadline, and fitted his lips to one of her delicate aureoles. Her chest moved as she panted out of nervousness, but the tip of her breast emerged quickly, as if it were a flower bud waiting for the first spring rain. He was gentle but firm, using techniques on her sensitive breasts that had worked before and which he knew would work again. His other hand's thumb and forefinger teased a response from her other breast, earning a satisfied sigh from his mate that only encouraged him more.

Deciding to move on, he lifted his head, looking down at her lush skin and slowly moving his hands over it one more time. She looked at him, her eyes already misty with a shy longing that he had not seen in many years.

"Help me take off the rest," he said, his voice low and rough. She gulped and nodded, lifting her hips up when he grasped the waistband of her black, cotton shorts. He pulled them off swiftly, tossing them in another direction without heed to where they fell. The last bit of cloth was a flimsy pair of black boyshorts, but he didn't delay in pulling them off, either, and Kagome half-squeaked in surprise and embarrassment.

"N-no one is going to come in, right?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"I don't think anyone in this house is that stupid," he answered, trying to nudge her knees apart. Her hands immediately went to the base of her pelvis to hide her womanhood as he spread her thighs and he looked at her with a bit of exasperation.

"I have a time limit here, Kagome. No need to be bashful when I've seen you like this many times before," he said, trying to console her fears.

"I...I have memories, but it doesn't feel yet like they're my own memories. I'm still shy, okay?" she complained, trying to reason with him.

"No need to worry then. In two minutes, you'll be wide open and begging me to make love to you," he predicted, a half-smile on his face as he settled between her thighs.

"Y-you're g-going to do that?" she squeaked, knowing from her varied and vivid memories that this was one of his favorite ways of getting her aroused. _He always did like my scent._

He tried to push her hands away, itching to taste her young, fragrant flesh, but she was still very timid, and wouldn't move them. Taking one of her wrists, he forced her to lift her hand and guided it to one of his ears.

"Play with this instead if you have to touch something. You always liked my ears, right?" he said. She took the bait, gently cupping her hand around the soft dog-ear. Her fingers stroked the back slowly, calming her nerves, and he almost tilted his head into her touch. Her other hand finally followed, leaving her open to his eyes and mouth.

Not wasting any time, he parted her lips, mindful of his claws, and tasted what he had wanted to taste for more than two decades. Her gasp, followed by the tightening of her hands around his ears, was the perfect reaction. His tongue traced the tiny button that fed her desire, upping the level with each flick.

"_Hnn!_ I-Inuyasha," she sighed, rubbing his ears just the way he liked it. She tasted the same, reacted the same, and sounded the same. His chest was tight with emotion just as his loins were tight with arousal. He was antsy to complete their reunion.

When her hips began to jerk involuntarily, he tried to feel along their connection, something he sometimes hadn't been good at during the rocky part of their marriage since her end was trying to shut him out, but found that it was easy to sense her mood today. The arousal was obvious, and the lingering worries were there, too, but on top of all of that was a mutual desire to reconnect.

_She had missed the intimacy, too._

The wetness between her thighs was no longer just his contribution. He had the feeling, too, that his time was up, and lifted his head.

"H-huh? Why did you stop?" she asked, breathless. She looked down at his head between her legs and his self-satisfied grin.

"Do you want me to continue?"

"Okay, okay, so I'm in the mood! Hurry up!" she demanded, dropping her head back down to the pillows. He rose to his knees, continually massaging her flowering lips as he came forward to settle once more between her thighs. He efficiently tugged at his hakama, freeing the warm limb that throbbed for her and his expression was as serious as the day they fought Naraku for the last time. Placing his hand over the top of her pubic bone, he positioned his body and then looked to Kagome for her permission.

"Don't keep me waiting, Inuyasha," she said, ironically. He growled with need, and slowly pushed forward, taking his time now that he had won her passion. She pressed her lips together in preparation, expecting the pain that she remembered from her first time in her previous life.

However, when he plunged forward, almost barking in exultation, there was no pain. She did feel a pop, but the pain didn't come.

"Inuyasha! Did you-" she asked, unable to finish the question when she saw the grimace on his face.

"I...thought it was only fair. You had pain the last time, so I thought I should take it this time. It's...only fair, right?" he grunted, his cheeks a bit pink. She didn't know what to say and then forgot to say anything as he moved over her. Her breath came out shakily and her eyes slowly closed.

"I-Inu...mm," she croaked out, pressing her lips together again. She heard a hitch in his breathing and opened her eyes to find him with his head drooping down so far that his hair hid his face. "Are you alright?" she asked, sweeping his hair aside even as he thrust into her.

"N-never better," he answered, his voice the deepest she had ever heard it. Deciding not to ask anymore, she gripped the sheets beneath her and held on. That's when she heard some footsteps go past their room. She gasped with instant embarrassment, but Inuyasha continued as if he hadn't heard them. Stifling a moan, she pressed her hand to her chest, willing her heart to calm down before it punched a hole in her ribcage.

She turned her head away from the door as if that would close off the outside world and saw her leather corset lying in a heap at the edge of the futon. Her breathing quickened, even as her womanhood pulsated wonderfully.

"_Kagome_," he growled. Her attention returned to him. Her fingers found his shoulder and, wanting to find bare skin, she slipped her hand beneath his inner coat. Tears gathered over her eyes and it seemed as if everything she touched was damp: his skin, her skin, and the sheets beneath her. The room was blazing hot.

He sped up and she let out a low groan, thinking it was safe again to make a little noise. Her heartbeat was in her ears, clashing with her own shallow breathing and the harsh gasps of her lover.

Inuyasha, despite the pain grinding through his loins, hadn't felt this happy in a long time. He had his wife back, in every sense of the word, and this time, she would never die again-at least, not while he lived. He wanted to howl with joy, but was attempting to be quiet for her sake since she was embarrassed about being noisy.

"Hnn! Inuyasha!" she whispered loudly, now lifting her hips in time to his thrusts and making it harder for him to keep his hand over her pelvis. He growled in reaction, though, gnashing his teeth against the sweet friction. He didn't have to wait long, though. Her body began to stiffen and she held her hips aloft, her breath freezing inside her lungs.

Suddenly, his end of their metaphysical connection was flooded with sensations and feelings so strong, so extreme, that it almost forced his climax from his body.

"Ka-Kagome," he wheezed. He plunged to the deepest point of her body and let go, unwillingly convulsing and shaking as he lived through his first orgasm in too many years to count. The wonderful burning, the feeling of release, and knowing that he had brought pleasure to his mate brought tears to his eyes, but he blinked them away quickly before Kagome could see them.

She started to relax and he followed her down, sinking onto her soft body as the world slowed to its normal pace again. He nuzzled her neck, breathing in her unique and delicate scent, flavored by the trace of sexuality in the room.

"You can let go of it now, Inuyasha," she whispered, her hands roaming over his back and through his hair. He made a small noise of acknowledgement and took his hand away. She stiffened a bit beneath him, but otherwise didn't make any noise.

"Thank you," he mumbled. She held him closer, wondering exactly what he was thanking her for.

"Me, too," she answered.


	20. Chapter 20

_-Inuyasha's Home-_

Kouryoku woke the next morning feeling more satiated than he had ever felt before. He felt spent and refreshed at the same time. And it was all thanks to the soft half-demon lying on his side. She was still asleep as far as he could tell, her hair spread over both of them. It was as glossy and smooth as fine silver silk, so his fingers idly played with its texture as he soaked in contentment.

He knew that she was waking up when she took in a deep breath, her silken limbs stretching against him. The arm she had tossed over his chest curved closer to him, and he tightened his arm around her back.

"Ohayou," he said, his voice rumbling through his chest. He looked down at her, watching her eyes open sleepily. She gave him a lazy smile, pulling herself up his body to land a kiss on his smirking lips.

"It _is_ a very good morning, thanks to you," she replied. His other arm came around her, holding her close. "But you know how it could be even better?" she teased, drawing little circles on his chest. Kouryoku shook his head, feeling a hot sensation slide through his stomach. He watched as his lover gracefully rose above him, straddling his stomach.

_-The Front Bedroom-_

Sesshoumaru watched from the comfort of the firm futon as his wife finished tying her obi and began to shift it around to her back, keeping one hand on the folds of her kimono to make sure everything stayed in place. Though most people wouldn't notice, he was pouting ever so slightly, his hand cupping his chin. Rin looked over her shoulder at him, saw his expression, and smiled in amusement.

"I must prepare breakfast, Sesshoumaru-sama. You want me to eat, don't you?" she queried, turning around to face him. His eyes closed as if he didn't care, and he said,

"Tell Jaken that I must speak with him." He heard her come closer rather than farther away and opened his eyes to see her kneeling on the futon, leaning towards him. He gave in easily, exchanging a light kiss. She leaned back happily, standing up and quietly leaving the room. A stirring in his stomach told him to keep his thoughts in check.

As she closed the door to the bedroom, Rin could faintly hear some muffled noises down the hall, but she didn't think anything of them and walked the other way towards the kitchen. Entering the brightly-lit room, she espied Jaken still asleep in the corner, an empty plate of food next to him. Kneeling next to him, she shook his shoulder, and the lizard-like demon cracked open his eyes, looking at her as if he didn't know her.

"Jaken-sama, wake up. Sesshoumaru-sama wishes to speak with you immediately," she whispered, trying to help him sit up. Jaken was instantly awake, though, hearing that Sesshoumaru wanted him, and was running down the hall before Rin could even tell him where to go. _I hope he doesn't go into the wrong bedroom._

_-Kouryoku's Bedroom-_

Karran wrapped her arms around her lover, having ended up on her back, and took a deep breath as she savored the heavy thuds of bliss in her loins. The skin on Kouryoku's back was amazingly soft, and she ran her fingers over it as he gasped against her neck and emptied himself inside of her.

She thanked whatever deity had granted her this miracle, hoping that she did indeed deserve to have a mate as handsome and caring as Kouryoku. Her heart overflowed with love, and she felt a deep fire in her belly that warmed her through and through. If that burning was what she thought it was, then the fire attacks that her sword could produce would no longer be out of her reach.

Kouryoku finally lifted himself off of her, stroking her thigh as he pulled out, and sat back on the futon, still panting lightly. His hair hung heavily over one shoulder, looking a bit tangled. Karran sat up gingerly, sitting with her legs folded to the side, and flipped her hair over her shoulder. Kouryoku smirked at her.

"Ohh, mother must be cooking," Karran sighed, taking a deep breath through her nose. She hurriedly stood up, locating her clothing, and shrugged into her inner robe first. She looked to her lover and clucked her tongue at him. "Get dressed, Ryo! If you don't, Jaken will assuredly eat everything that mother sets on the table." This galvanized Kouryoku into moving, and it was a mad dash to the kitchen.

_-Near the Castle of the Lord of the Northern Lands-_

Genbu flicked at the ice forming on his right earlobe, hoping to see the outline of the castle soon. Winters this far north were quite harsh. At this height on the phoenix demon, the air was so cold that his hair clinked against his back. When they first began their seige of the castle at the end of the previous winter, it was knowledge of the icy air near the clouds that won them a bit of their victory, for none of the flying demons that tried to protect the complex could fly without chancing that their wings would freeze solid.

The beast beneath him squawked with recognition, and he squinted his pale yellow eyes into the icy distance. An indistinct black shape pressed out of the whiteness in front of him, and suddenly the Castle of the North appeared, majestic and daunting. Most of the castle was made of black stone and marble, with the rest being made of wood so dark that it seemed to swallow light. The giant complex, including the main hall and all of the out-buildings, resembled a great black dragon, accented with gold moldings and pillars. He heard a shout from one of the castle guards, who called out the identity of the new arrival.

Instructing his ride to make a single sweep around the castle, Genbu checked the progress of the repairs that he and Toku had ordered before they had left a mere four days ago. Work was coming along on schedule, it seemed, and he steered the phoenix demon towards an open area near the entrance to the main building of the complex. He spotted his general's assistant near the landing area, and waved to him in greeting. The phoenix landed rather roughly, probably very tired from their race to the castle, and Genbu gratefully got off of the panting bird.

"Matsui, I trust that the repairs I just saw are to specification?" he asked, pulling a couple of bags from the fushichou youkai. Matsui cleared his throat, his leather armor creaking as he lifted his hand to scratch his cheek.

"That is correct, sir. The general has been keeping a close watch on the rebuilding effort. We are cutting no corners." Matsui was a stoutly-built wolf demon, one of Kouga's cousins; he was an exceptional warrior, though his swordsmanship still needed improvement. Matsui too often forgot to even use his sword, preferring the hand-to-hand method of fighting so popular in his clan. Now as the assistant to Toku and Genbu's general, he was being taught to use his fists as a back-up fighting technique.

"Where is the general, then?" he asked, hefting the bags he had removed over one shoulder.

"In the library, writing a missive to you, actually. The general is impatient," Matsui said, smirking slightly. Genbu sighed in comraderie, knowing well the general's moods.

"I shall speak with you again later. Keep up the excellent work, Matsui. And feed the phoenix its favorite," Genbu threw over his shoulder as he walked inside. Matsui called out his acknowledgement. Genbu greeted the soldiers he passed, some of which were still nursing a few wounds, though they were healing with the usual demonic speed. He also saw the newly-hired household staff along the way to the library, cleaning out rooms that had been neglected by the Black Hawk clan.

He wondered what dire and urgent need required him after only four days if the general deemed it necessary to send a letter after him. He had said he would be back after a week, once he had reported his victory to his father and visited his eldest brother. He was, in fact, back rather early. He could feel a headache coming already...one right between his eyes.

Sliding the heavy, groaning doors of the library open, Genbu stepped into the well-lit room. The library was one of the few rooms in the entire complex that was relatively devoid of decades of dust and vermin. Obviously, the former Northern Lord had forgotten his duties and immersed himself in books rather than the welfare of those around him. Because of Kurokuma's penchant for books, though, the library was rather comprehensive and neatly arranged. Genbu hoped to find time in the near future to browse and add to the collection, although with less fervor than the previous lord.

Aesthetically, the library was quite pleasing. Though many candles were required to light the room due to the absorbent nature of the dark wood panelling, it had a very comforting feel. Genbu wondered idly if Kurokuma wouldn't simply have just given up his Northern throne in order to be in a place like this, leaving the duties that Genbu craved to persons as ambitious and energetic as he and his brother.

He immediately noticed his general bent over a piece of parchment near the right side of the room. Meticulously drawing the characters with a pursed mouth, the general seemed to be in deep thought. Genbu smiled over the fact that despite being an excellent leader and warrior, the general hadn't even looked up to see what had just entered the room.

"Chihaya, how pleasant to see you hard at work," Genbu joked, coming towards her. His most trusted advisor in battle, second only to his brother, Chihaya looked up with surprise at the dog demon striding towards her, her dark green eyes wide with shock.

"G-Genbu-sama! You are back...early!" she exclaimed with surprise, her mouth a perfect 'o.' Genbu grinned broadly, always amused by Chihaya's childish ways despite the utter bloodshed he has seen her wreck upon their enemies. She came to their family ten years ago, asking to be apprenticed to one of the sons of the great Sesshoumaru-sama. Genbu had been thirty-four then, and was into his forty-fourth year now. Chihaya had been merely thirteen-years-old, practically an infant to any demon of great strength, such as Sesshoumaru or his half-brother, both of which were well beyond their second century.

Of course, Genbu was even now still considered an infant.

Now twenty-three, Chihaya was one of the best warriors that Genbu had ever seen. Only his father outmatched him, and only Chihaya's swordsmanship rivaled his own. His two elder brothers liked to think that their sword techniques were just as good as his, but though their stamina and physical strength matched his own abilities, Genbu was certain that in a fair fight, his swordsmanship would determine him as the winner.

To Genbu, Chihaya was his personal prodigy, and he was proud. She still bore many of her childish features: a pert nose, bee-stung lips, and wide eyes, which looked at him with great astonishment now. Chihaya's father, refusing to teach his only daughter how to fight with their family's technique since it was only passed down to sons, sent her to their home, even though they had no personal ties with Sesshoumaru's family. Sesshoumaru was still angered that she had even found their castle. But it was no wonder that she did find it. She was born a luck dragon.

It was Genbu who first found her. By happenstance, he and Toku had been home to ask their father for advice on raising more followers for the attack the Northern throne. Chihaya, in her young adolescent dragon form, had scrambled over the complex wall. Genbu had been the first to catch her scent, and he had run to investigate. When he found her, she was a gorgeous array of black scales that flashed gold, her eyes a deep green like that of an endless forest. Her raspy dragon's voice asked if he was the son of Lord Sesshoumaru, and when he drew his sword as an answer, her great body curled upon itself, bowing before him to ask for apprenticeship.

He gained a few more details about her before accepting, but when he did agree to teach her the swordsmanship he had learned from his father and molded into his own, her body shuddered and folded upon itself, growing smaller and smaller until with a wash of black smoke, her naked, pubescent human form lay before him. He had never blushed so hard in his life, even though she was merely a child. It seemed that she had been looking for their home for months, and had reverted to her dragon form to increase her luck... but it had left her without clothes.

Genbu looked at the open-mouthed girl before him now, decked out in her field armor even though she sat in the library. He couldn't say much about his own attire, though, for he still wore his mud-splashed armor. In her human form, Chihaya boasted black hair with strangely fascinating gold highlights, and green irises lined with flecks of gold. Her pale skin hinted a light green, though Genbu was never sure if the green was there or not, but on several occasions, he had become unavoidably aware that her nails were as hard as stone. They were long, sharp, and the cuticles were colored a darkening shade of green. She liked to test the strength of her nails on any piece of flesh she could scrape, including parts of him when they sparred. He had learned to avoid her claws.

"Yes, I am back early. And what burning issue has you writing a letter to me when I would have been back before the letter even found me?" he asked, his eyes perusing the parchment in front of her, though at a respectful distance. Chihaya looked down briefly, and then covered up the letter with her hands, as if afraid that he would read it.

"Ahh! I shouldn't have told Matsui that! I was not planning to give it to you today!" she said, her lilting voice a chaos of embarrassment. Genbu's eyebrow went up immediately.

"Chihaya, the Bloody General, is fretful because of a letter to her commanding officer? What, may I ask, is the content? You're not thinking of ending your apprenticeship forty years early, are you? You must be confident in your abilities, Chi-chan," he commented, reverting to the nickname he had given her as a child. He hadn't used that nickname in almost two years.

"Mouuu! Don't call me that! And no, I'm not ending my apprenticeship!" she asserted, quickly rolling the parchment and sliding it into a small leather case.

"Then why are you writing a letter to me when you knew you could say whatever is on your mind to my face?" he asked, his fists on his hips. It was a pose he took often when he was about to draw his sword to spar with her. He knew he could recover the leather case from her if he wanted, but to wrestle it from her seemed...immature. Sure, he was physical and rough with his brothers, but he strongly avoided resorting to childish games with any of his subordinates.

"It's none of your business!" she affirmed, coming to a stand and forcing the small case into the pouch hanging from her left hip. She began to walk past him, as if their conversation were through, and he felt the need to diffuse the situation since she was getting unnecessarily upset. Deciding on a joke, he said,

"Heh, it's not a love letter, is it?"

For once in his life, he wasn't prepared for the blow, and his vision was temporarily hazy as her fist punched him clean across his left cheek. When his world righted itself, he was glad to at least still be standing, and his eyes found Chihaya in front of him, her face awash with guilt. He watched her fall to her knees, press her forehead to the floor, and cry out a firm apology. Too stunned that his joke had seriously backfired, he didn't think of what her reaction to the joke entailed. Instead, he looked down at the back of her head and considered all the ways he could have better handled the situation.

He had learned early on that her temper swung as easily as a man's luck. Usually, a joke worked when she was about to scream in rage or cry in frustration. Despite all his training, her temper was still her weak point. He had hoped that by this time in her apprenticeship, she would have learned to control it since controlling one's feelings was directly related to how well one fought, but up to this very minute, her emotions were still the metaphorical equivalent of a pendulum. It was the single failing of his so-called "prodigy."

"Was it something I said?" he asked, not realizing that he had just used another joke.

"It was the way you said it..." she said into the floor. Genbu, his ears still ringing from the resounding blow to his head, didn't quite hear her.

"What was that?" he asked, shaking his head to clear it. Chihaya sat up slowly, her wavy black hair like a curtain drawn close to her eyes. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, but her voice was calm when she said,

"No, it wasn't anything you said."

Genbu's eyes squinted a bit. He wasn't sure if that was word for word what she said, and he wondered if she had just lied to him. But he had no way to tell, unless he read the piece of paper rolled up inside the leather pouch that hung from her belt.

"Let me read the letter," he ordered, holding out his hand.

"You can't read it! It's personal!" she exclaimed, putting her hand over the pouch as if about to draw a sword. Chihaya's horrified look, and the fact that she didn't do as he said, greatly surprised him. It was, despite her strange behavior in the past, was one of the few times she had ever disobeyed him.

"As my apprentice, nothing you have is personal. Hand it over," he ordered, his voice firmer this time. She looked away briefly, and then stood up.

He was immediately on guard.

Chihaya broke into a run, escaping the library. Genbu was after her without pause.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" he yelled after her, passing the same servants he had greeted earlier. He wasn't sure exactly where she was going, but it was all he could do to keep up with her. Down the stairs, across the main complex courtyard, through the lower halls, and outside the building, she ran as if her hair were on fire. When he saw that she was yanking the letter out of the leather case, her path became clear to him. She was headed to the armory to toss the letter into the hot coals of the oven.

He wondered briefly why he had ever agreed to make her his apprentice. She had thrown many of these strange temper tantrums. They had grown a little less frequent, but she hadn't done something this sudden and strange since she was sixteen. Even then, he hadn't know what was wrong. Though her fighting abilities were supreme, she never had acted completely normal, especially around him. Her "swinging moods" were now legendary among their army. When training a group of subordinates, she could be serious and careful one minute, but wild and reckless the next. Most of the men thought that this was a good trait, making it hard for an enemy to predict her, but others thought it was a sign of poor control.

Genbu wasn't sure anymore if he agreed with the latter group. She had so far managed to punch him and escape with some secret document, all because of her unpredictability.

They were only a few steps away from the door to the armory when he flung himself forward to catch her. They landed with a huff, and it was the precious two seconds of being rendered motionless by the fall that let Genbu take advantage of being the one on top. He scrambled up her body, his hands firmly grabbing the leather shoulder straps to her main armor piece. They were giving a good show to at least twenty of their men, who were working nearby on rebuilding and strengthening one of the two inner complex walls. He heard a bit of laughter, but ignored them as he wrestled with her in the dusty earth of the inner courtyard.

"Stop resisting me!" he ordered, grabbing her wrists when she tried to claw her way out from underneath him. He managed to pry her right hand open and retrieve the sorely-used piece of parchment upon which she had been keeping a death grip.

"No! Don't read it, please! I beg you!" she cried out, her hands covering her face as he stood up and back. Opening the mangled parchment, he ignored her childlike screams. He was certain that whatever was on the parchment wasn't nearly as bad as she thought. In fact, when he began reading it, he was completely convinced that it was some confession for a bad deed she had done.

_Respectfully Addressed to Genbu-sama: I wish to give my thanks to you for these past ten years. You have made me strong, taught me many things about battle, and I am now very close to being the perfect military commander. These things were passed down to you from your father, and given to me with your many brilliant adjustments and additions. However, I am afraid that I can no longer act as your apprentice..._

As this point, Genbu felt his heart clutch painfully, and he wondered if he would lose her. She had expressed when she was younger that she would return to her family after her apprenticeship ended. Perhaps she was impatient to leave. Though his practical side was disappointed that she would no longer be there to help handle the daily duties that he and his brother had just taken on by occupying the Northern throne, the rest of him thoroughly rejected the idea of her leaving for an entirely different reason. She was his friend, his student, and his confidant. Though she was still a child in his mind, the passage of ten years had created something more solid and tangible within her than the raw material he had started with.

He still hadn't figured her out, and if she left before he got the chance to do so, then he...

He read on.

_I can no longer fill the same position in your life as I have for the past ten years. Though we work closely together on your goals, which are the same as mine ever since I met you, the distance between us chafes at me. I want to be closer, and in a more intimate manner than you have allowed yourself to be. I must confess then, that I love you with all my heart. My love is so deep and fermented that it pulls me in all directions, and I feel like I will fly apart whenever I am with you. When I try to pool my concentration, it takes more energy than it should because I cannot seem to focus. It's because I think of how much I need to tell you how I feel. I do not know if you return my feelings, for you are my senior by dozens of years, and surely you think of me as a child that has a childish mind. If you do not have the same feelings for me, then I must beg that you release me from my apprenticeship. To be near you would be enough to kill me, I am sure. If you..._

The letter ended there, where he had interrupted her only a few minutes ago.

Genbu looked at Chihaya, stunned. She had stood up to watch his face as he read the letter. A lone tear fell from her glassy eyes, her black hair in great disarray. He never suspected that she might feel romantically towards him. He joked as such, but it never seriously crossed his mind. She had always been a naive child to him.

"You love me?" he asked, his voice sounding strange. There were a few barks of laughter from behind him, and he threw a livid glare over his shoulder, effectively shushing anyone who dared to watch. Apparently, though, the tone of his voice and the laughter of the men had caused Chihaya enough embarrassment, for when he turned back to her, she was gone again, her feet kicking up dirt as she ran towards the gates that led out of the complex.

Genbu ran after her, his men cheering him on from behind him.

_-Inuyasha's Home-_

"Is that understood?" Sesshoumaru said calmly, standing close to the window and gazing out at part of the garden. Jaken squawked his agreement into the floor of the room.

"Then be gone. I shall see you back at the castle," he ordered, never taking his eyes off of a newly bloomed lily. Jaken scrambled out of the room, now intent on following his master's biddings to the letter. Once he was gone, Sesshoumaru dressed in his battle armor, feeling tense for some reason. He slowly walked to the kitchen, tempted to rub a thumb and forefinger over his sinuses as the noise level grew the closer he came to the room.

"That was mine! I was about to eat that!" Kagome moaned, looking at Rin with disdain.

"Well, you have to be faster next time, Kagome-san!" Rin giggled, chewing happily on her food. Sesshoumaru was at least glad that Rin was eating, but his daughter was sitting much too close to Kouryoku, and he was angry to know that she had visited his room last night. Inuyasha seemed more upbeat this morning, and Sesshoumaru could smell his brother's scent all over the strangely-dressed girl, so he grudgingly felt glad for his brother's reunion with his wife.

He just wanted to finish the ceremony and go home with his mate. That was all that mattered to him.

And it seemed like the ceremony would be difficult to perform today, since a new scent was headed their way...

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said, startling the entire room. Everyone looked to him, completely silent. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smirk at them. "Someone is coming for the Shikon no Tama."

Inuyasha lifted his nose to the air, and he finally caught the scent that had been plaguing Sesshoumaru's nostrils since Rin had begun to dress this morning.

"Crow demons..."

"The last time crows stole the jewel from you, your mate's seeker arrow had you searching for the shards for years. Don't make the same mistake this time."

Inuyasha half-scowled at him.

"Kouryoku, protect your mother. Your uncle and I will deal with the visitor headed our way," Inuyasha growled, coming to his feet. Sesshoumaru was not surprised to see Tessaiga strapped to his side.

"Stay inside, Rin. Karran will protect you," Sesshoumaru said, turning away without saying another word. His brother followed him down the hall.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Please be careful!" Rin called out, the fear in her voice evident. Sesshoumaru gave no answer, keeping his comforting words inside. Though he wished to reassure her, he would never do so in front of Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, I'm not letting you fight alone," Kagome said, coming to a stand.

"For once, Kagome, let me take care of it," Inuyasha said, his face showing his impatience. She didn't look like she was going to back down, though, so he added sincerely, "_Please._" Kagome set her jaw, but sat down next to her son.

"We'll be back soon," he said.

_-Outside the Castle of the Demon Lord of the North-_

The North had beautiful, mild summers, but summer was a couple of weeks away from entirely banishing the last remnants of winter, so the season of sleep was still making its presence felt in the form of frigid morning frosts. Once out in the grassy fields skirting the compound, Genbu easily found Chihaya, who had thankfully stopped running a few dozen meters outside the complex's main wall. She was kneeling in frost-coated grass, her shoulders shaking. He approached slowly, the grass crinkling under his feet like paper, and gave her time to wipe her tears if she wished.

Stopping a couple of meters away from her, he waited to see if she would say something first, and glanced down at the love letter clenched in his fist.

"I didn't want it to be this way," she hiccuped. Genbu rolled his shoulders uncomfortably, wishing it hadn't happened at all. Truthfully, thinking of her as a creature that felt anything but bloodlust was...awkward. She was such a good warrior, though a warrior-child in the best sense of the term, that the thought of her having soft feelings had never entered his head. And he felt naive for believing that. He himself was an excellent warrior, and thoughts of romance (usually in the sexual sense) entered his head very often. To assume that she felt nothing of that nature was quite stupid.

"I'm sorry," he said, the only thing he felt he could say. She swallowed audibly, still hiccuping, though he could tell that she was trying to cry quietly.

"You should be!" she croaked, and it made him smile. "Heh...that's the first time you've ever apologized to me."

"It'll hopefully be the last time," he said gently, letting his smile enter his voice. She looked over her shoulder at him, a smirk on her face. He almost gasped in astonishment, noticing for the first time how mature her face was. He wondered how he had missed the slow changes that had morphed her from growing to grown. He remembered her childish expressions in his mind, but she didn't make them anymore. Now her features were the smoother, longer features of a mature immortal. She was...surprisingly very attractive. Her green eyes shined like the southern sea in the summer, and though her eyelashes were a bit spiked from her tears, the redness that most human women suffered when crying was absent from her clear eyes.

"You've always been such a bastard," she joked. "I don't know what I see in you." Wiping at her eyes, she turned away from him again, standing up. Her hands smoothed her hair away from her face, and she successfully pushed it over her shoulders without catching the tangles on her armor.

"I...had no idea, though. And...I don't think I even know my own feelings right now... By the Gods, I'm so bad at this," he said, his hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it," she said, sighing. "Forget I ever wrote that letter. I'll just finish the repairs here and be on my way home once they're complete." She began to walk past him, and he grabbed her arm, a bit incredulous.

"Don't just decide for me, Chihaya. Why would you assume that I don't return your feelings?" he asked, his eyebrows close together.

"You just said that you had no idea of my affections! If you had felt something similar towards me before the letter, the idea of a mutual attraction might have occurred to you! Besides, I am oftentimes _quite_aware of how you see me," she accused, her face tight.

"And how is that?" he challenged.

"You think of me as a mindless teenage warrior with no sense of any positive emotions besides pride over a victory. You value my advice as a military commander, but not my company as a female. You think of me as work-in-progress rather than a mindful student, like a dog meant to learn her masters commands and do tricks like a good girl," she yelled, her hands making wild gestures. He frowned slightly at her slur towards his own canine origins.

"Then why in Hell do you love me?" he countered, his voice reflecting his anger and frustration.

"I wish I knew! You grate at me so!" she screamed. "But when we work well together...when we sit to eat and drink at night with the other officers and share stories like friends...I see your smile or hear your praise, and my heart...it hurts so sweetly, Genbu-sama." Her words, rather well-spoken, made his heart jump in his chest, and his anger fell away from him...at least momentarily.

He wondered...

"Then let us test the matter," he proposed. He leaned forward, sweeping his arm around her body and pulling her against him. She gasped, her eyes wide, and her hand automatically came up to land on his shoulder as he took her mouth in a deep kiss. Her lips were warm and very smooth, and the taste of them held a hint of cinnamon. He could tell immediately that she had little experience with kisses. Perhaps none. His free hand, half-covered by a gauntlet that protected the back of his hand, rose slowly to frame her jaw within his fingers, and he began to teach her the kinds of kisses he enjoyed most. Her body was a bit stiff, probably out of anxiety since he had launched this intimate encounter with no warning, but she began to soften as the time they stood there stretched to a minute, and then two.

Of a sudden, her arms came around his neck, and she sighed into his mouth, sweetly and eagerly returning his amorous efforts. He was immediately as hard as his armor. His arms clamped her against him, and his lips strained against hers, trying to get a deeper taste of her greatly-appealing mouth. When her face suddenly turned away from him, he groaned at the loss, and barely heard her say,

"I can't breath!" He could do nothing for her, though. Turning her mouth towards him again, he resumed their kiss, holding the back of her head through her tangles of hair to keep the kiss constant. However, she wrenched her lips away again.

"Genbu-sama, please! I can neither breathe nor stand on my own!" she gasped out. He kissed her neck, very pleased to find that her skin tasted of cinnamon, too. "By the Gods, G-Genbu-sama. I feel like I have melted!"

Genbu sighed, and in a deep, purring voice, he said, "Like snow that melts to water...I shall make you boil."

With that, he kissed her again, though more slowly this time, so that she could take in the air she needed. He idly wondered if the rest of her body matched her gorgeous lips. The vision of her younger body ten years ago flashed in his mind, and though he had quickly averted his eyes, the image of porcelain skin was burned into his memory, and he would bet a body part that her skin was still as perfect.

Having the answer he needed, and having a new, more urgent need, Genbu made his decision and abruptly released her. She managed to stand without falling to the ground, but she did stumble for a second. Seeing that she was steady on her feet, he grabbed her wrist and began to tug her back towards the compound.

"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice husky and breathless. He growled to himself, wondering if she would sound the same when he was wedged between her thighs.

"We are going to my bedchambers," he answered, hoping that they had been made up. If not, her bedchambers would suffice.

"A-are we...?" she asked, too dazed to think straight.

"I am going to make you mine," he declared.


	21. Chapter 21

_-Inuyasha's Village-_

"We need to take the fight away from the village, but unfortunately, it's not us they're after," Inuyasha said as he met his older brother outside his home. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, as if to say, _Of course_.

"Homes can be rebuilt. It's better if the villagers leave," Sesshoumaru answered. Inuyasha frowned, wanting to disagree, but to Sesshoumaru's surprise, he nodded. The older demon watched as the younger sprinted towards the village center, heading towards a large bell suspended from a tall pavilion. Inuyasha quickly scaled the ladder up to the bell. It rang loudly in the small valley and the worried murmurs of a couple hundred villagers arose all at once.

"Enemies are coming! Everyone, go up the hill and hide at the shrine! Shimizu will protect you!" Inuyasha called. Sesshoumaru found it strange that the villagers looking up at him on the pavilion ladder actually followed his orders. "Hurry, everyone! Enemies are coming! Take nothing with you!" Inuyasha resumed with ringing the bell and the sudden tsunami of people rushing up the shrine steps was oddly coordinated.

Then again, living in the same town as a half-demon and his son would make the villagers much more wary.

Sesshoumaru put his nose to the air again and felt a sneer curl his lip. The enemies were just minutes away, if not less. He looked back at the house behind him, which sheltered his wife and daughter. He would not let a single thing even touch the roof, he swore to himself.

A few dawdling elderly were being assisted up the steps, but the village had otherwise emptied and Sesshoumaru felt his eyes bleed to red as familiar outlines appeared on the horizon. Inuyasha returned to his side then, his Tessaiga at the ready.

"Here they come," the younger demon said with a growl. Sesshoumaru remained silent, letting his transformation take over. He could feel his skin tightening and then stretching, his bones moving and growing. "S-Sesshoumaru! Are you-" Inuyasha blanched, watching his older brother grow in size.

Fur sprouted. His clothes melted into his body—-even his two swords. His face and ears elongated. Long, canine teeth pushed past his lips and suddenly, Inuyasha looked much smaller than before. Sesshoumaru let out a baying howl, though it was more like a roar. He could see the enemies begin to fly over the village, over two dozen crow demons. Their leader, more than ten times the size of his minions, flew in the middle. Like the crow demon who had stolen the Shikon no Tama so many years ago, these enemies bore a third eye, which supposedly could see the souls of those who had recently passed. It was their way of telling which bodies to steal.

All that entered Sesshoumaru's mind was the image of his teeth sinking into their feathers, followed by the gush of blood as it entered his mouth and ran down his jowls, turning his fur pink. He leapt with this murderous thought in mind, not caring to ask questions. The enemy's intent was obvious.

Though he barely acknowledged it, Sesshoumaru felt rather than saw Inuyasha leap to he meet the enemy. Sesshoumaru opened his jaws wide and though the crow flying towards him tried to change course, it was too slow. Sesshoumaru landed amongst the trees bordering the village, his large body breaking branches as his feet pounded to the earth. The crow's bones popped sickeningly as his jaws squeezed down on the struggling bird.

It was only a second before the creature's struggles ended and Sesshoumaru dropped the dead carcus. He then quickly found another flying rat and jumped after it, his growl of anger loud in the silence of the abandoned village. Inuyasha had already dropped four of the enemy, his sword's long-ranged attacks more efficient, but Sesshoumaru found his method _much_ more satisfying.

_-Inside Inuyasha's Home-_

The kitchen was utterly silent as its four occupants listened to the sounds of battle outside. Rin jerked every time she heard her husband's howls. Karran, sitting beside her and hugging her mother's side, comforted her as best as she could. Kagome could hear it every time Inuyasha used his sword, though by the sound of it, the _Kaze no Kizu_ attack was being thrown into the sky, both to kill the flying enemies and to avoid damaging homes. Kouryoku stood at the entrance to the kitchen, hand on the hilt of his sword and obviously ready.

The house rattled every time Sesshoumaru landed from his great leaps and Rin feared every single time that he had fallen rather than landed. She wanted to be able to see what was happening, but if she went outside, the demons might mistake her for the girl with the Shikon no Tama. Also, Sesshoumaru's anger at seeing her in danger would be phenomenal.

"What's happening out there?" she whispered.

_-Outside-_

The Crow Lord, having deftly avoided every swipe aimed at him, landed on the roof of the bell's pavilion, his anger obvious at how quickly all of his minions had perished. Dozens of crow bodies were scattered over the village, one of which had unfortunately crashed through the roof of someone's home. Sesshoumaru, still in his dog form, stood between the Crow Lord and his brother's home. Inuyasha stood near him, his Tessaiga clenched in his hands. The Crow Lord flapped his wings in agitation, squawking loudly.

"I sh'ee we have sh'orely underesh'timated you," he hissed, his voice sounding strange through a beak.

"Who is 'we'?" Inuyasha asked, ready to fire off his sword if necessary. Just by the amount of demon energy he could see, Inuyasha knew that the Crow Lord, though skilled, was no match for either of them. Now that it was two-on-one with no minions to worry about, they could take him down fast.

"Have you not heard?" the crow cackled, its leathery tongue poking out from its beak as it laughed. Sesshoumaru could feel his anger rising and a growl leaked from his throat.

"Spit it out then!" Inuyasha yelled, brandishing his sword about. The Crow Lord flapped his wings again, obviously made nervous by the sword's movements.

"As large a group as we are, we crow demons are no match for the likes of you. We allied with a much more powerful group. A brother of crow demons, the owl demons of the eash't agreed to sh'tand with us in a united front against the wesh't. It was our job to sh'ecure the Shikon no Tama. Fukurou-sh'ama knew it would reappear sh'oon," the Crow Lord explained. Sesshoumaru took a step forward, his anger so keen that it put his stomach in knots. Yokiri, the daughter of the Lord of the Eastern Lands could very well be deceiving his son with her words of love as part of some elaborate plot to undermine his entire family, but Sesshoumaru knew that the Owl Lord was not smart enough to hatch such a plan.

Such information would be useful, though. It was a well known fact that Fukurou was a complete coward. Even so, he made a mental note to separate his eldest from Yokiri...and kill her if necessary.

"I leave it to you, Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha lowered his sword. It had been obvious that the older demon was itching to kill the Crow Lord and Inuyasha was willing to give his brother the kill. The corner of Sesshoumaru's mouth shook as a deep growl spilled forth. The Crow Lord squawked, seeing his intention, and began flapping his wings in earnest to take off and escape. Sesshoumaru jumped forth, roaring as he closed the distance to the bell's pavilion. The Crow Lord tried to defend himself and flung one wing toward the dog demon. Some of his feathers shot out, stiff and sharp as _kunai_, forcing Sesshoumaru to dodge by rolling his body in midair. Two of the dagger-like feathers flew past harmlessly, but one landed directly into his shoulder.

Being hit only served to further anger Sesshoumaru, though, who let his momentum carry him the last few feet to his target. His jaw clamped down onto the large bird, bearing it to the ground as he landed on his side. His fall had ruined someone's garden, but he hadn't landed on a house. If he had, his mate would have been upset.

Getting to his feet, Sesshoumaru whipped his head from side to side until the wing of the Crow Lord completely tore off, eliciting a pained squawk from the crow demon. Spitting the wing to the side, he went after the main body, biting down and shaking his head again. Finally, the Crow Lord moved no more and Sesshoumaru dropped the foul thing, ready to return to his human form and wash out his mouth.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" he heard Rin cry. Turning in surprise, he espied his mate running toward him from the house, and with only a few steps, had more than halfway closed the distance between them. His daughter was on the porch of his brother's house, having let her mother leave once she confirmed that all the enemies were dead. Lowering his head, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes as his wife wrapped her arms around his muzzle.

"You're hurt!" she sobbed, obviously upset. "Are you in pain? Should we take it out?" She let go of his nose then, stepping back and rolling up her sleeves as if she would do the job now. Sesshoumaru looked to the house, and without saying a word, Karran approached.

"I'll take care of it, mother. The blade may be poisoned," Karran offered, placing her hands on her mother's shoulders.

"P-poisoned? Have you been poisoned? Oh, God!" Rin fretted, her hands fidgeting as if she would touch him again. He lowered himself to his haunches, letting Rin press herself to his enormous cheek. She worriedly petted his fur, and he closed his eyes. Her smell was stronger while he was in this form, despite the crow blood around them, and he was extremely content to bathe in her sweet scent. Karran had walked around to his other shoulder. She gripped the shaft of the feather and then braced one foot on her father's shoulder.

"Are you ready?" she softly said. He had turned his head towards her mother and all she could see of his head was his large, fluffy ear. There was no answer, which for him meant "yes".

With a mighty tug, Karran ripped the feather free of his shoulder. Sesshoumaru didn't even flinch. After flinging the large, bloodied blade to the side, Karran looked at the wound but found no remaining pieces. The feather hadn't been poisoned, either. _What a weak demon_, she thought to herself.

"It is finished," she announced, taking care not to touch herself with her bloody fingers. She let her parents be alone together and walked into the house to wash her hands. Sesshoumaru stood again, forcing Rin to let go of him and she worried her hands as he began his transformation once more. More blood rushed out of his wound as he shrank, pushed out by his own muscles as a result of moving bones and organs, so when he finally stood up as a human, the entire left side of his clothing was soaked with blood.

Rin was balling by then and rushed to him. She paused before touching him, uncertain if hugging him would hurt him or make him angry. Whenever she stubbed her toe, she herself didn't want anyone to touch her while she bore the pain.

"It's all right, love. Come embrace me," he said, lifting his good arm. She gratefully ducked under his arm, pressing herself to his cleaner side and crying onto his armor. His arm came around her, comforting her as they walked to the house together.

_-Castle of the Lord of the Western Lands-_

Inutaisho sat in the kitchen, lazily stirring a pot of stew as very faint sounds of rutting drifted to his ears. He sneered, his head leaned upon his palm. He had wanted Yokiri for so long and waiting these last two days was going to drive him insane. However, listening to his brother and that fire demon going at it was also coming close to driving him insane. His jealousy ate at him, but he just continued to stir the stew.

_Toku definitely deserves his own happiness..._

Inutaisho just wished he weren't so _noisy_ about it.

Ikkatsu was straddled over Toku, her thighs trembling, her skin covered with sweat, and her heart racing a mile a minute. Her lover bucked up one last time and his ecstasy looked more like pain as he came inside of her. His hands tightly gripped her hips, keeping her pressed against his pelvis as he weakly thrust into her. She lay down over him, touching her bare breasts to his chest and enjoying the remaining hum of pleasure still frothy in her veins as she pressed a kiss to his lips. She then reached up and pulled her blood red hair to one side, baring her back.

"Do it," she whispered against his mouth. Toku nodded slightly, his hands lazily stroking up her bare back to the nape of her neck. Touching his claws to the scar that Zannin had placed there, he pushed the tips into her skin. She stiffened, hiding her face against his neck as he dragged his claws down her back. Her soft cry told him that it hurt, but she stayed still as he scored her back with three long welts.

In her head, she could hear an angry curse from far away and knew that Zannin had felt the marking.

"He's coming. I can hear it," she informed Toku, who stroked her sides comfortingly.

"He comes for his death, and I shall give it to him. Do not worry, Ikkatsu," Toku rumbled, his voice a bit husky after their lovemaking. "I will take care of you...forever," he promised her.

"Toku..." she whispered, curling closer to him.

_-Castle of the Lord of the Northern Lands-_

When Genbu had pulled Chihaya back into the compound, the men had cheered uproariously, but he paid them no attention. Now that he knew what he wanted, he wanted it _badly_.

Chihaya was an exceptional fighter and extremely powerful as a demon. She had learned to use many of her powers while under his tutelage, though mostly by accident. His father would therefore have no objection to her. She was also outgoing with the men and knew how to be diplomatic. The soldiers often had short tempers, but any of Chihaya's methods for calming them down almost always worked. When they didn't...she simply knocked out both brawlers. His mother would therefore have no objection to her.

He had been too blind by his amibitions to notice her beauty, but after seeing his parents reunited, after hearing of his eldest brother's wish to take a mate and after knowing that even Toku would soon be mated-it was like a splash of ice water. Brought out of his fixation, he had found before him a deadly, beautiful demon. He lusted for her, he wanted to take her, claim her... All he needed to figure out now was if he loved her.

Before he realized it, they were nearing his bedroom and a middle-aged human servant was exiting his room with a few dusty rags, which she had tossed into a half-full bucket.

"Are my chambers ready?" he asked, his voice booming in his urgency. The servant cried out in surprise, flailing backward and then pressing her hands to her chest.

"Y-yes, sir," she hastily replied, tugging the bucket's handle and quickly backing away.

"Make sure all the servants know not to disturb this room," he bade the middle-aged woman. She hastily nodded, her eyes wide. He realized that it was the first time he had ever seen this servant. He lowered his voice, though it took effort. "Thank you for your work, madam," he added. Then he pushed Chihaya through the open door and followed her inside, slamming the door shut.

His personal quarters were lavish, to say the least. The furniture was of the best quality. The thick futon was wide and made of the finest materials. The ornate lamps cast a soft, soothing glow. None of that mattered to Genbu now, though. He only had eyes for Chihaya, who stumbled around to watch as he hastily began to remove his armor.

"Get undressed," he ordered. Chihaya regarded him with uncertainty and her swollen, blushing lips parted in surprise. He dropped his gauntlets to the floor first and then began to work on the main piece strapped to his torso. "_Now_," he asserted when she didn't immediately do as he said. Hurriedly nodding her head, she finally began to strip and for a long minute, all that could be heard was the thump of armor hitting the floor and their shallow breaths.

Chihaya was thrilled by the heat in Genbu's eyes. She was desperate to do the things to his body that she had longed to do ever since she was sixteen and had first realized that she loved him. She wanted him inside her mouth, his muscular buttocks in her palms and his powerful thighs pressed against her breasts. She wanted him beneath her, his hands on her hips as she ground against his pelvis. She wanted him bent over her, biting the back of her neck and slapping his hips against her rear. Softly moaning aloud, she finally threw off the last of her armor, which hit the floor with a satisfying clunk.

Genbu had already pulled his haori out of his hakama, but Chihaya could wait no longer. She closed the distance between them, grabbed his hand, and tugged him toward the low dresser against the back wall of his chambers. Shoving him against the wall, she yanked his hakama down. Genbu was thrown off balance and fell to the top of the dresser, knocking aside an empty ink well and a roll of parchment.

"Chihaya, what the hell are you-"

"Genbu-sama," she sighed, unhesitatingly grasping his cock and pushing it into her mouth. Genbu choked on the rest of his question, his body frozen for a second as she sucked him between her eager lips. His hands instinctively went to the back of her head, holding onto fistfuls of her hair as she greedily bobbed her head over his lap. He could barely get a full breath, too overwhelmed by shock and pleasure. As her mouth continued to pull on his erection, her hands smoothed up his bare stomach to his chest. She immediately located his nipples and began to rub the flat, brown pads with her thumbs.

"Chi-" he gasped. He couldn't stop his hips from bucking up into her mouth or look away from the gorgeous sight of her full lips sliding up and down his arousal. Her aggression was somehow unexpected, even though he knew it shouldn't have been. Though he was her superior, their sparring matches were always knock-down-drag-out fights and they both always ended up bloodied and bruised.

Chihaya's legs were trembling and she was soaking wet between her thighs. Genbu tasted wonderful and she loved his hands in her hair. So many times, he had bested her in combat, but every time he groaned and pushed up into her mouth, she felt more and more exultant. She basked in the power she had over him.

"Chihaya, wait. Stop," Genbu said gruffly. He gripped her shoulders, trying to pull her away from him, but she wouldn't have it. She wanted all of him. She wanted to swallow the pleasure she evoked in him. Clamping her hands around his wrists, she pinned them to the dresser-top, sucking harder on his cock. Genbu threw his head back, bashing it against the wall as she sucked the orgasm right out of him. Shouting, he rolled his hips up, pumping deep between her lips. His balls tightened and heat shot out the tip of his erection into the back of her mouth. He could even feel her tongue and throat swallowing every pulse of pleasure he spilt.

Even if Genbu wanted to, he couldn't move for a short moment. Lolling about on top of the dresser in a haze of satisfaction, he merely concentrated on getting his next breath. Chihaya eventually released his hands and his cock, her lithe body slinking over him as she very nearly purred, seemingly as satisfied with his orgasm as he was. She licked her way up his stomach and chest until she was pressing wet kisses to his neck and shoulder. Kneeling between his spread knees, she half-lay upon his chest, her hands never stopping in their quest to caress every part of him she could.

_I think she killed me._

"Genbu-sama, you're absolutely delicious," she whispered into his ear. "So much more than I had fantasized." _And I fantasized about you quite a lot_, she said to herself. Though she had scratched a major itch by taking him into her mouth, she only wanted more of him and couldn't stop petting every inch of bare skin she could find. She explored the smooth, muscular skin over his abs, the rise of his pectoral muscles, and the wide, sculpted surfaces of his back.

He didn't know where he pulled it from, but Genbu finally roused the strength that had so easily fled his limbs a moment before. Sliding his arms around her, he pulled her flush against him and nuzzled her cheek. A familiar scent wafted up to him, something like wet, spring grass. He had often smelled it on her before, but not all the time.

_Wait a minute..._

Surging to his feet, he snatched up the luck dragon draped over him, stepped out of his hakama, and then strode to the futon waiting for them. Chihaya slid her arms around his neck, still as amorous as before she attacked him, if not more so. He laid her upon the bed, pulling her arms from around his shoulders when she would have gathered him close, and took a page from her book by yanking down the pair of hakama concealing her body from him.

"Get that haori off before I rip it off," he growled, tugging the hakama down her legs and feasting his eyes upon her pearlescent skin. Taking a second to shrug out of the haori hanging from his elbows, he glanced up to make sure that Chihaya was doing as he said before pushing her legs apart. He heard her gasp a second before the smell of grass suddenly intensified. Gazing down at the slick cleft weeping for him, he crawled between her thighs, getting a large lungful of the scent of her arousal.

Every time he had caught this scent before, she had been wet for him. _More times than I could possibly count._ Genbu tried to resist a smug smile, but knowing that she had lusted for him for so long stroked his ego no small amount. A tight-lipped smile pulled his mouth wide.

Chihaya finally spread open her haori and her hands went to work on the bindings around her breasts, for she was desperate to feel his hands and lips on them-licking, sucking, pinching. Looking down, she spotted the wide smile on Genbu's face as he stared unabashedly at the crux of her thighs.

"Genbu-sama, please," she begged, hoping he would do something-anything. Wriggling impatiently, she tried to entice him to touch her, taste her. He did not disappoint.

Genbu was drawn to her sex like a dying man to water. He felt his cock stir again as he closed the distance to her body. Lying upon his stomach, he gently massaged the bare lips of her vagina. A soft growl rose to the back of his throat as he coated his fingers with the fragrant oil she exuded, running his fingers up and down her slit.

With a high, loud gasp, Chihaya pushed her hips toward him, begging for more. His name became a soft, endless chant as she drowned in her desire for him. When his tongue touched her, she nearly levitated. He licked her like he was licking the bottom of a bowl-long, hungry strokes. His tongue then rapidly flicked the hard ball of nerves she so often played with.

"G-Genbu-sama!" she cried out. Finally ripping off the bindings around her breasts, she reached down and grabbed his head, pulling him against her in a bid for more of the same intoxicating sensation. When he sealed his lips around her clit and sucked, she took in one long, harsh breath, her back arching as though he were sucking out her soul.

She tasted like nothing he had ever sampled before. Only wanting more, he consumed her, swallowing her down. Chihaya's hips lifted, forcing him to follow her body, but he propped her up with two hands under the globes of her rear and continued his feast. When suddenly she screamed and jerked against him, he felt contractions on his tongue and groaned.

Aching again for another release, he lowered her body to the bed and rose to his hands and knees. He then wrapped his hand around his cock, pumping as he looked at his lover. Gazing at her gold-black hair spread around her, her arms limp at her sides, and her pert, bare breasts heaving as she panted for air, he could tell that they wouldn't be leaving the room for a very long time.

"Hold your legs back for me." Surprised at the booming depth of his voice, he realized that his demonic side was coming out. Chihaya weakly moaned, but did as he said. With one hand behind each knee, she pulled her legs up and waited.

Crawling over her, he let his cock brush against her and caressed her calf with his hand. Chihaya boldly looked up at him, her eyes glazed with lust. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"Take me," she moaned, undulating beneath him. He continued to tease her, though, enjoying her impatience too much. "I've waited so long, Genbu-sama. _Please_," she begged him.

Grasping his cock, he aimed it at the soft flesh waiting to part for him. "Watch." Chihaya lifted her head and looked down between them, her attention fixed. Both moaned as he sank into her. Genbu then pounded both hands into the bed and arched his back, pressing deep until the base of his erection was flush against her body.

Chihaya cried out, startled by the feel of his thick cock spreading the walls of her sex. It was more than a fantasy now. It was real. Hot, tight, and maddening. When Genbu tested their fit with a few short jabs, she gasped as pleasure stole over her.

And then he pulled back and thrust, a long, full, delicious slide of hot, hard flesh.

"Chihaya," Genbu growled, lying fully upon her for a kiss. His tongue jabbed into her mouth in time with his cock into her body, mimicking the real act as he thrust a second time, a third. Chihaya was already overwhelmed and yet wanted more. Even as she moaned into his mouth every time her body rocked under his heavy thrusts, she wanted more sensation, more pleasure.

His body pinned her legs back, so she reached around her thighs to touch his naked back and dig her nails into his muscular shoulders. "Faster," she panted. "Faster!"

"_Yes_," Genbu groaned, plowing into her. She cried out, unable to help it when she scraped her nails down his back. He felt so huge inside her and over her.

Genbu hissed in pain but was only spurred on by the mild sting. The scent of sex in the room was both sweet and musky, and air sawed in and out of his lungs as he raced for the peak with her.

"_G-Gen-_" Chihaya gasped a second before she clawed his back again. She then let out a harsh scream. His breaths left him in shudders as her sex clamped down on him, rippling contractions preceding a wave of delicious scents that rose from her body. He wasn't far behind her and pushed through her flexing flesh with a few hard thrusts. Then throwing his head back, he roared his pleasure as he slapped his hips down and burst inside of her.

_-Inuyasha Forest, Mid-Afternoon-_

Standing near the well, Kagome watched as Inuyasha spoke with their son.

"I'm sure Sesshoumaru isn't happy about it, but his mate seems to approve. Just...be careful. Try not to step on your uncle's toes," Inuyasha warned. Kouryoku nodded.

"When will you and mom be back?" he asked, looking up at the sky. It would be dark in a few hours.

"Karran said that the ritual must be performed at dawn, so we will return an hour before sunrise. It might be better for the Shikon no Tama to disappear tonight, anyway. We don't want to attract more visitors," Inuyasha explained. Kouryoku nodded again in silent agreement.

"I'll be here then, waiting for you." Patting his son's shoulder, Inuyasha then turned to Kagome, who gave him a small smile. Together, they jumped into the well.

_-Inuyasha's Home, Mid-Afternoon-_

Sesshoumaru's bloodied clothing had been washed and was drying in the warm sun. Rin had already washed away the blood that had splashed one side of his body and was now fretting over the wound still on its way to mending. Sesshoumaru, sitting on the back porch in his robe and reclining against a support post, secretly enjoyed her worried ministrations.

"You're sure you're not in any pain, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked for the tenth time, kneeling down next to him on the porch. She held a bowl of warm water in one hand and a clean rag in the other. Setting down both, she leaned over him to peek under the temporary bandage over his wound. Taking such a ripe opportunity, he dragged her into his arms, smiling at the squeak of surprise she made.

"I feel no pain when you are with me," he softly admitted. With tears in her eyes, Rin slid her arms around him, whispering his name. "I remember another time when I had been wounded and you had tended to me." She looked at him with a nostalgic smile.

"It was the first time we ever met, all those years ago."

"You were so young and unafraid. So curious." He had been drawn to her fascination of him, surprised that she showed no fear. He had never been met with such happy curiosity or such kindness from a human.

"And you were so handsome and mysterious," Rin whispered. "You still are." He could no longer stop himself and lowered his mouth to hers, sealing their lips together. This was the medicine he needed. She was the balm that could fix anything. Letting his hands roam and his passions ignite, he prepared to pick her up and carry her to their room. He would need a lot of medicine...


	22. Chapter 22

_-Castle of the Lord of the Northern Lands-_

Genbu sat with his arm draped over his knee, uncaring of his state of undress as he watched Chihaya sleep. The luck dragon lay with her arms up, her hands resting to either side of her head, and the sheet only covered her from the naval down. A small smile curled her full lips and her pert breasts lifted with every breath she took. His palms tingled and he slowly reached forward to give them the sensation they craved. Sliding his palms over the soft mounds of her breasts, he gently squeezed the firm flesh, his breaths becoming shallow as her nipples distended. Chihaya inhaled more deeply, her small smile widening to a grin, and began to squirm under his touch. She stretched her lithe body and opened her eyes.

"We've been in here for a great while, Genbu-sama," she purred. He continued massaging her breasts but looked up to watch her lips as she spoke. "Perhaps I should check on the men and their progress." The limb between his legs twitched and began to grow. "If what you said about the human army is true, we will need to be prepared should they be lucky enough to find us." He pinched her nipples, gingerly tugging and plucking to keep them hard. She sighed and he leaned over her. He laved the lush tip of her breast. One hand briefly detoured south to toss the sheet away from her body. "I should at least instruct Matsui to hasten the repairs to the castle's defenses."

"Why do I only desire you more when you speak of war tactics?" Genbu said as he lifted his head. He looked into her dark emerald eyes as his hand slid up the inside of her thigh.

She softly moaned, opening her knees. "Because my ambitions are the same as yours. I wish to see you and you alone rule the northern throne, to witness your reign, and to see you surpass all previous possessors of the northern lands." Her eyes fluttered shut as his exploring fingers became too distracting.

"Do you not nurse any of your own ambitions?" he whispered. Chihaya moaned.

"I-I already command an army. I will make them the deadliest force in all four corners of the land." Her heart leapt when Genbu took his place between her thighs. She wrapped her legs around his waist. "D-deadlier than even the largest human army. Your-" She gasped, her words breaking off as he drove inside her. She opened her eyes to watch him. "Your dynasty would be unchallenged for centuries-p-perhaps for all time."

"_Our_ dynasty," he corrected, deepening his thrusts. "You shall bear my offspring. At least ten."

"Ten?" she said breathlessly. "We had better get started."

"Why do you think we've been in here for such a great while? Besides the obvious madness that has taken over me," he said. She had no more to say when he sped up and rapidly pumped between her thighs. He had already taken her several times but every time his eyes landed on her again, he literally rose to the occasion. He wondered how he hadn't seen the pure sexuality she exuded before now, how he hadn't taken complete advantage of it.

Chihaya didn't realized that she had lost her train of thought until she suddenly grasped for his shoulders. Her deepest muscles shuddered. "_Ahhh..._" Her eyelids fell shut. It was barely audible when she breathed, "I suppose Matsui can w-wait until tomorrow then." His hips pressed close and jerked against her. His soft but deep sigh of satisfaction spilled across her ear as he settled upon her.

"By then perhaps this madness will have abated," he groaned. Chihaya hummed with a smile as she stroked his shoulders.

_-Castle of the Lord of the Western Lands, Outside-_

With his head propped up on his hand, Inutaisho lay on his side on the porch outside the kitchen. His eyes were closed as he enjoyed the quiet solitude of early evening and the comfortable weight of a good dinner in his stomach. His own version of his mother's soba recipe wasn't as good, but it came close. The feelings of jealousy and agitation that had plagued him for the last couple of days were blissfully absent for those precious few moments and he rejoiced in the fact that tomorrow evening, he and Yokiri would be together at last.

However, his momentary peace was not to last. His ears twitched and a frown marred his face when his nose caught the scent of his younger brother approaching him from inside the house. Toku was covered with the scent of his lover.

"I ate it all and I'm not making any more of it," he groused. Toku's light laughter flittered to his ears and it only made his frown deeper.

"Pining for her, are you?"

Inutaisho's eyes flew open and he gnashed his teeth. "Shut up!" he growled, looking back over his shoulder at his brother. When he saw that Toku was strapping his sword to his side, though, his face went slack. "Are you going somewhere?"

Toku sighed as he flipped his long hair back and gathered it into a ponytail. "That's what I wanted to warn you about. We're about to have a visitor."

"A 'visitor', huh?" Inutaisho parroted, coming to his feet. "Can I have a piece?" He smirked as he punched his fist into his palm. Upon seeing his brother's small wince, though, his arms fell with disappointment. _But a fight is exactly what I need right now!_

"You know that I would normally say yes-" Toku began to say.

Ikkatsu entered the room at a run. "He's...almost here," she panted. Inutaisho's eyebrows shot up.

"But I'm afraid I need to do this alone," Toku finally finished. He dropped his arms, having tied his hair back. "You're welcome to watch, though," he added with a lopsided smile. Inutaisho's grin returned.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Ikkatsu asked shrilly. "Zannin is the most powerful fire demon of us all! Every demon in the south fears him!"

"Every demon in the south is about to rejoice at his death, in that case," Toku nonchalantly commented.

"Well, that's just great." Ikkatsu gesticulated wildly. "I can't wait to see what this place looks like as a yawning pit of ash and brimstone. If you thought I was a challenge, you're about to learn what a real challenge is."

"Did I say that I thought you were a challenge?" Toku said, his glance sliding over to her. Ikkatsu made a harsh sound of frustration and stomped her foot, shaking the whole kitchen. Inutaisho watched as Toku flashed his gentle smile at his lover and patted her shoulder. "I'm only teasing." His attempt to cool her off only backfired.

"This isn't the time for jokes!" Ikkatsu grabbed Toku's chin and pulled his face toward her. She looked directly into his eyes. "Zannin is psychotic."

"I haven't even heard of him," Inutaisho said with a shrug.

Without releasing Toku's chin, Ikkatsu shot a glare at Inutaisho. "Well, perhaps you know him better as the-"

Ikkatsu gasped, letting go of her lover's face, and closed her eyes as she shivered, her expression tinted with fear and disgust. Inutaisho's whole body stiffened and a chill raced up his spine. Foreign demon energy that rivaled their father's was trickling into the compound, and it gave both brothers pause.

"He's here," she whispered. Ikkatsu began to back into a corner of the kitchen. "He's here." Crouching down, she hid behind the end of a cabinet and tucked herself into as small a ball as she could manage. Even more than the demon energy growing stronger with every passing second, Ikkatsu's reaction alarmed Inutaisho. He looked at his younger brother, whose expression was a strange mix of anxiety and determination, and realized just how much danger Toku was in. Toku swallowed and finally met his brother's eyes.

"I only ask that you keep Ikkatsu safe, in case I..." Toku didn't finish his sentence. Inutaisho didn't know what to say, so he settled for a nod. Striding across the kitchen, he grabbed up his sword sitting against the inside wall. When he looked back at the outside door, Toku was gone.

"Good luck," he mumbled. He strapped on his sword.

Toku quickly pulled on his boots, his heart pounding. He hadn't been so nervous before a fight since the last time he had sparred with his father, which had been many years ago. The anxiety only fueled his determination, though, only made his concentration more fixed and his movements more brusque.

Striding away from the house, he drew his sword. The air became foggy and the foreign demon energy grew thicker, like a cloud of hot smoke that only grew more oppressive the farther he walked south. It was like walking into a sauna and the air was full of steam so hot it seemed to singe his skin.

Finally, after a few more minutes of walking, he saw something ahead of him, an outline in the fog that looked like flames licking up at the sky from a large bonfire. Toku stopped, willing to let his enemy come to him and to give himself time to study his opponent. Gradually, the flames grew denser and therefore brighter, going from white to blue to yellow. Toku saw a strange movement within the column of fire, as though the fire were walking with two legs. He blinked and suddenly the fire was contained within a human form, its upward flowing hair the only part of it that still seemed to burn.

The light began to fade and the form that Toku had expected appeared from out of the flames: a red-haired male fire demon.

Zannin.

_By the gods, he's tall._ Toku had always thought of himself as being above average in height, but for the first time in over a decade, he remembered that he was only half-demon. Pure demons that took human form, on the other hand-demons such as his father... Zannin's hair was as long as Sesshoumaru's and it took human form last, falling to his shoulders and spilling down his sides. Unlike his father, though, Zannin wore no armor, only plain black clothes. Toku was surprised to see that Zannin did not carry a weapon, but recalled an instant later that Ikkatsu had conjured her own from thin air.

The heat and steam swirling in the air around Toku threatened to choke him, though. It felt like he was breathing fire and his lungs ached inside his chest. It was a painful sensation to speak around, so Toku was unable to answer immediately when the fire demon spoke.

"You are the one. You have taken what is mine," Zannin growled. Toku could see fire burning in the back of Zannin's throat every time he opened his mouth. "And you shall die for it."

"She was never yours. She will never really belong to anyone," Toku finally managed to say. "Not even me, but I will fight for her."

"You are twice the fool then. Once for taking my property, and twice for thinking she was anything _but_property. The insolence," Zannin said with disgust, his lip curling. "You are not even pure. Not even older than the oldest of _humans_. Your mother was the human, wasn't she?" He said the word _human_ as though it were an insult to him to even have to speak it, and his question was spoken as a statement, as though he knew on sight what Toku was: Beneath Him. "A human mother who thinks she can spread her legs and earn status. A half-demon brat who thinks he can plant his seed and earn purity."

Toku's anger flared so hot that the scorching temperature of the air could only be considered toasty in comparison. Zannin smirked in reaction to seeing Toku rise to his bait. _Arrogant bastard._

"I enjoy being what I am and I am proud of it, but my 'purity' wasn't on my mind when I 'planted my seed' into your 'property' over and over again. She loved every minute of it." Toku sported his own smirk to see Zannin's eyes flare. The fire demon's face twisted with rage.

"It is a disgrace that her body was so befouled by a half-demon!" Zannin shouted. "Not even a demon of her own kind!" Toku's body automatically took its stance when he saw the slight change in the fire demon's posture that said he would soon attack. "She was to give me heirs and the daughters who would bear the heirs of my male brethren. She is mine and I will undo your mark, _even if I have to skin her!_"

Toku had thought he was prepared, but a fireball the size of his chest came flying at him faster than he could dodge it. The scalding flames punched him back and he felt his body leave the ground. An obliging tree trunk stopped his backward movement. Gasping with pain, he realized he was on the ground again and struggled to his feet. He managed to dodge a second fireball by only a split second and drew his sword. "_Hikari no Kaimen_," he gasped out. When he finally turned toward Zannin, the fire demon had already conjured a sword of fire longer and far brighter than Ikkatsu's.

Zannin swung at him with a growl. Thinking that his sword could absorb the other just as it had with Ikkatsu, Toku wasn't prepared to parry a second time when Zannin's sword merely shimmered when it met his own. The blade came at him again, perhaps even faster than before, and he only dodged well enough to avoid losing an arm. Even so, the sword sliced a deep gouge into his bicep and he couldn't help shouting in pain. Zannin laughed, continuing his assault, and it was all Toku could do to defend the rapid attacks. He had no time to call upon any of his sword's aspects-_couldn't_ use them, for his left arm could hardly move and his right arm burned with strain as he tried to keep up. Even so, Zannin's current pace seemed to be merely a fraction of his capacity. He was toying with him.

Toku had never seen a swordsman move so fast, or rather, he had only seen such speed when fighting his father. Of course, his father never injured him, and perhaps that was where his training was lacking.

_You are too slow_, his father had said. Toku recalled feeling ashamed. He had proven himself as the fastest of his siblings, though his technique wasn't as good as Genbu's, yet he was still a disappointment to his father. _You rely on your eyes too much, and not on the movement._ Toku hadn't understood and still wasn't certain what his father had meant.

The minutes dragged by and the fight was quickly draining Toku's energy. More and more, Zannin's blade slipped past his parries and blocks to slice at him. He realized, though, that Zannin had pushed him back a hundred feet toward the house, that he stepped forward every time he slashed his sword from right to left after a series of thrusts.

_You rely on your eyes too much, and not on the movement._

That was it. He watched the enemy's sword, but not the pattern-the technique. He was only prepared to defend, did not study his opponent's routine to find the holes. His father had been deliberately showing holes in his technique when they sparred, hoping that Toku would see them, but he hadn't. His father had assumed that Toku wasn't fast enough to take advantage of the weaknesses, but to Toku's shame, he hadn't even been looking-had been counting on his offensive speed alone to win his fights. It was no wonder that Genbu's swordsmanship was superior to his.

Zannin's sword thrust at him. Once, twice, thrice...slash. Bottom-left to upper-right, bottom-right to upper-left, slash, slash... He could see it. Zannin had a routine, or perhaps Zannin was being lazy and not bothering to change up his technqiue.

Toku began to anticipate Zannin's next moves, was able to block every time, to parry every thrust. Zannin's frustration began to show as the fire demon's hacking slices grew stronger and his laughing smirk turned into a snarling sneer.

There! That was the hole! Zannin's step forward slowed the time between his attacks. It would be enough.

"Are you not growing tired?" Zannin hissed. "Should I end your misery? Should I reclaim what is mine, and scrape out the seed you have left there?"

"I'm afraid it has already taken root," Toku answered. His throat seemed to be lined with thistles. "I would rather kill you so that I may see my own heir born."

Enraged, Zannin's right-to-left slice was vicious-and over-extended. The fire demon stepped forward, as per his routine, and Toku dropped to his haunches. Sending his blade up through the hole in Zannin's defense, he buried his sword in the fire demon's gut. Zannin made a noise as though something wet were clogging his throat and his blade disappeared with no more than a puff of smoke.

"_Haka_," Toku growled. Zannin gasped, long, low, and hollow. His arms went limp and his eyes went wide. Under the gravity of his own weight, his body slowly sank down the length of Toku's blade toward the hilt. The color in his hair and his skin rapidly began to fade, turning white, then grey, then black.

Finally, he exhaled his last and his body went still. The blackened corpse was on its knees, his hands brushing the ground, and a blade smeared with blood protruded from his back. Toku tried to summon the energy to pull his sword back and stand up, but when he moved his sword hand, the fire demon's body fell apart like a snowman made of ash. Zannin collapsed into a pile of black soot, and Toku fell back onto his rear.

He closed his eyes. "That...wasn't so hard," he sighed.

"Toku!" a feminine voice called from far away. Toku planted his hands on the ground, determined to meet his lover-his mate-while standing. The world went gray at the edges as he staggered to his feet. He heard a strange tapping and looked down to find drops of his blood hitting the ground with quick succession. It wasn't until that moment that he saw the damage Zannin's first two fireballs had done. The front of his haori had completely burned away, leaving only a few shreds clinging to his shoulders. The back of his haori hung from his waistband. The skin on his chest was black and streaked with blood oozing from gashes he had suffered during the swordfight.

When he looked up, Ikkatsu was already in his line of sight, followed by his brother. He didn't know if he could survive his wounds, but he was at least grateful that his pup would survive and that he was standing victor over his slain enemy. He watched Inutaisho overcome Ikkatsu, reaching him first. His eldest brother sheathed his sword and immediately wrapped an arm around Toku's waist, grabbing Toku's wrist with his other hand and pulling Toku's arm across his shoulders. Toku was grateful for the support. He wasn't sure if he could have remained standing any longer.

"Let's get you back to the house," his brother said. "Jaken arrived a moment after you left. He can assist." Ikkatsu had stopped a few feet away, her hand covering her mouth. Toku tried to walk but found he couldn't. Inutaisho took on more of his weight, though, and Toku managed a step forward.

"You did it," Ikkatsu said, bringing her hand away from her mouth. "You really did it." When Toku neared her, she took up the same position as his brother on Toku's other side. It became even easier to walk and their pace increased.

"By the gods, Toku. You nearly died," Inutaisho scolded. "Who the hell was that, anyway?"

Ikkatsu provided the answer. "Zannin, the Lord of the Southern Lands."

"W-what?" Toku stuttered.

"I told you that every demon in the south feared him. I told you that he was the most powerful of us."

"The Lord of the Southern Lands was a fire demon?" Inutaisho asked. "We had always heard his power rivaled our father's. We hadn't known anything else about him, so Genbu and Toku thought they would conquer the northern throne instead."

"Zannin was very secretive about himself and his 'nobility'. He left no challengers alive, made no boasts about his abilities. No one knew, even the southern demons," Ikkatsu explained.

"He sounds more and more like our father," Toku grumbled.

"So what does it mean that he has died?" Inutaisho asked.

"It means that Toku is now the Lord of the Southern Lands. I will vouch for your victory. I need only to collect Zannin's remains once we return to the house," she answered. Toku's vision went hazy again.

"I've...taken the southern throne?"

"I'm afraid Genbu will have to rule the north on his own," Ikkatsu confirmed.

_-Inuyasha's Forest, the Well-_

Rin stood with Sesshoumaru, Karran, and Kouryoku as they all awaited the return of Inuyasha and Kagome from inside the well. She didn't understand how the well worked or where it led, even after Sesshoumaru had tried to explain it, but she was more worried about the ritual to come than about knowing where Inuyasha and Kagome had gone. She fidgeted with the sleeves of her black kimono, which Sesshoumaru had somehow procured from one of the villagers while she slept. Karran had to help her dress herself, for her shaky hands hadn't been able to hold onto the material long enough for her to keep the folds straight.

Sesshoumaru, standing directly behind her, reached down and grasped her hands, pulling them up to her shoulders. He didn't say anything, even though she was squeezing his fingers as tightly as she could. Gradually, she began to feel calmer. Her heartbeat began to slow down to normal.

"The sun will rise in half an hour. They should be here soon," Karran said quietly. Rin began to wonder how she had been so nervous only a moment ago, feeling quite at ease now. Waves of soothing comfort seemed to be washing over her, smoothing away the anxieties she had been harboring for several days. She felt Sesshoumaru press his lips to the top of her head.

_Our link...he's using it to calm me._ Rather than feel manipulated, she felt grateful. It was Sesshoumaru's way to hide his affections when in public, but that he still thought of easing her apprehensions...

A light flashed from inside the well. "They're here," Kouryoku announced. It was only a second later that Inuyasha popped out to land on the edge of the well with Kagome in his arms. She also wore a black kimono, though hers was embroidered with small white flowers along the sleeves and skirt. Kagome's eyes looked a little red.

"How'd it go?" Kouryoku asked, coming forward to greet his mother.

Inuyasha stepped down and set Kagome on her feet. "Why is that her mother always feels the need to grab at my ears?" he grumbled.

"It was hard to leave," Kagome said, sniffing as she pulled her son into a brief hug. "I don't know if we can go back after the ritual, so we had to say our goodbyes."

"We should hurry," Karran said. "Dawn will be here soon."

Kagome nodded and looked at Rin. "Are you ready? I know I'm not," she joked.

Rin smiled, laughing a little. "I am as ready as I may ever be."

Kagome nodded at Inuyasha, who picked her up again. Without warning, Sesshoumaru swept Rin into his arms and she let out a tiny shriek. Kouryoku grinned at Karran and opened his arms to her. Karran laughed and leaped toward the nearest tree. Her feet touched the branch for only a split second before she jumped to the next tree, disappearing into the canopy as she ran ahead of them all. Kouryoku was quick to follow, obviously chasing her. Rin watched as Inuyasha lit off into the trees, his mate gasping and gripping his shoulders. She then glanced up at Sesshoumaru, who was already looking at her.

She recalled being woken by him an hour ago, his head between her thighs, his hands holding her down while he... Rin blushed, her thighs squeezing together from the memory. Something in the way he made love that morning had felt desperate, which hadn't mattered to her at the time because she had felt the same. She could see it now, though, in his expression. He was scared for her. It was so subtle, but it was there. It wasn't at all certain what would happen during the ritual. It could go smoothly and wonderfully, or she and Kagome could both die.

"You do not have to go through with the ritual," he said softly. "We can continue as we did before. I will wait for you again."

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she whispered. She did consider it. They knew they could be together forever as they were, though she would die and be reborn until Sesshoumaru's long life finally ended, but who knew how long that would be. Most demons did not last until the end, always dying in conflicts for power. She could possibly be reborn a hundred times before Sesshoumaru passed. It would kill him to see her die so many times, to live alone for the years when she was growing up again.

"I don't wish to be away from your side ever again. It will be all right. It must," she vowed. Sesshoumaru merely nodded. Holding her tighter to his body, he began running, his strides quickly becoming longer and faster until he was sprinting through the forest. The trees blurred and Rin closed her eyes, pressing her cheek to his shoulder.

_-The Shrine-_

The shrine's main chamber had already been prepared. Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and Kouryoku stood at the back, not allowed to come within twenty feet of the center of the room, where Rin and Kagome were asked to sit opposite each other. A small plain table sat between them, which held only an empty bowl. Karran sat diagonal to both of them.

"Are you ready?" Karran asked. "Sunrise is upon us, so I hope you are." Rin gulped down a sudden protest and simply nodded her head. Her heart pounded like a drum. Kagome looked pale, but she nodded as well. "Very well. I will first need each of you to prick your finger and squeeze a drop of blood into the bowl." Karran held out two small knives. Rin's heart nearly exploded as she recalled the last time a knife threatened to slice her skin. It was a moment before she could work up the courage to take the proferred blade.

Wincing, she pressed the tip of the knife into the pad of her longest finger. The sting wasn't as terrible as she imagined-no doubt the blades had been sharpened well-and blood welled up from the small wound. She held her finger over the bowl and let a single drop fall. Kagome's face was very determined as she squeezed a drop of blood out from her own finger.

"You may set the knives on the table," Karran instructed. They did so. "Now, I must first draw out the_Shikon no Tama_ from you, Kagome. I _think_ it won't hurt, but you may find the sensation unsettling." Kagome's eyes went wide. The chamber was starting to fill with light from the rising sun.

"D-draw it out? You won't cut it out like the centipede demon, will you?" she asked.

"No, not like that. The jewel is not whole because you ingested it as a powder in your, uh...previous life," Karran attempted to explain. Rin watched Kagome glance at Inuyasha, whose hard expression didn't budge. Kagome then looked back at Karran.

"O-okay then." Letting out a pent-up breath, Karran turned in Kagome's direction. She held out one hand, closed her eyes, and began to chant. Kagome immediately began to squirm. Rin wrung her hands, watching as Kagome grimaced and fidgeted as though being touched in places no one should be able to touch.

Light began to build up in front of Karran's hand, and gradually, specks of light could be seen leaving Kagome's body and gathering together. The light condensed and solidified, growing into a small ball that Rin recognized. The memory was very faint, but she knew it when she saw the _Shikon no Tama_ coming together.

Finally, the jewel flashed brightly and was complete. Still chanting, Karran slowly brought her hand toward the bowl. When the chanting stopped, the _Shikon no Tama_ dropped into the bowl with a light clatter, where it briefly rolled around the bottom and came into contact with the two drops of blood. The jewel flared again and when the light faded, the blood was gone, absorbed into the jewel.

Karran opened her eyes. "Kagome, pick up the jewel and hold it in your palm. Mother, hold Kagome's hand so that the jewel touches your skin."

Even though her daughter had spoken, everyone in the room was frozen for several heartbeats. They all looked at the tiny object that had caused so much grief for so many years. Rin was suddenly afraid that demons hungry for power would descend upon them at any moment, yet she couldn't bring herself to say anything. She looked across at Kagome, who still hadn't moved.

"Kagome?" Karran said softly. Blinking, Kagome swallowed and reached for the jewel. Gently picking it up, she let it roll down to her palm and held her hand out. Rin licked her bottom lip and grasped Kagome's hand. The jewel was quite warm. Looking up at the only other person in the room who was fully human, Rin maintained eye contact with Kagome and squeezed her hand.

Rin was never so scared in her life. Not even the incident with Sayo compared. She didn't want to look at Sesshoumaru, though. She was certain that she would lose her nerve if she did.

Karran began a new chant. Rin stiffened, certain that something awful would happen, but for several seconds, the chant continued with no reaction from the jewel. Unfortunately, those few seconds gave her enough time to imagine all sorts of terrible things, such as the jewel exploding, killing everyone in the shrine. Perhaps the roof would crash in as more demon crows arrived to claim the _Shikon no Tama_.

Rin gasped as a sudden, sharp tingling sensation spread up her arm and over the rest of her body. Light began to pour from her and Kagome's clasped hands. Her hair lifted from her shoulders. Kagome's fingers clamped down on her hand.

Leaning forward as though compelled, Rin tried to concentrate on bearing the increasingly painful sensation, which was now like being pricked by a thousand thorns. She therefore didn't notice that a powerful wind swirled around them until her hair blew across her face. The gale picked up stray objects in the chamber and tossed them against the walls or out the windows, shattering small urns or breaking apart candles that had been lit before the sun's ascent above the horizon.

The sensation grew to something akin to being stung by bees, and Rin and Kagome both cried out in pain. Rin closed her eyes, hoping to keep in the tears that threatened to fall. She felt her body rise up to her knees as though something underneath her were lifting her. The force continued to propel her upwards, carrying her up to her feet.

Over the sound of the wind and the pain, Karran's voice continued to chant. When the pain intensified, becoming like the cut of a knife, Rin screamed. She wanted to let go of Kagome's hand, to run to her mate and hope that she could escape the pain, but after everyone's long journey to get here, after Sesshoumaru's long wait for her return, she knew she couldn't stop now. She had to endure.

Karran cried out, suddenly flung away from the center of the room. Rin saw only red against her eyelids as a light too bright to look upon exploded from the jewel still pressed between her and Kagome's palms.

The pain ceased and the world went quiet.

Rin opened her eyes, gasping to see that she and Kagome floated in a white space. Still clinging to Kagome's fingers even though she could no longer feel the jewel against her palm, Rin didn't want to let go, scared that she would somehow fall. It seemed that Kagome felt the same. The other woman looked at her as though she would never forgive her if she let go of her hand.

"I have waited so long for this day," a gentle voice said. "Centuries." Rin looked around the empty space, trying to find a source for the voice.

"M-Midoriko?" Kagome said.

"Yes." The voice seemed to smile. "I have felt your soul before. I am glad to see it has been repaired."

"Who are you?" Rin asked.

"I was once a priestess," the voice explained. "Long ago, I fought against demons, the elements of twisted human souls that sought to destroy the world. My final battle took my life, but I used my powers to extract the souls of the demon army and kept them inside my own heart. I hoped to purify them."

"The _Shikon no Tama_ is your heart," Kagome stated.

"Eh?" Rin said, shocked.

"Yes." The voice was now sad. "And I failed. One last demon soul still struggles with mine. It taunts me with truths that I did not want to hear when I was alive. I had always thought that I could purify all the demons of the land. I could bring peace. It was my greatest wish."

Rin frowned, thinking that this Midoriko would have killed Sesshoumaru and all her children.

"I did not know the true source of demons, and for that, I am doomed to spend eternity in battle with this final demon. One of my own making."

"Eh? What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"Demons are the result of human imperfection. Jealousy, greed, rage, anguish...these feelings created demons. They will never be defeated with force, and my righteous anger is what I now battle."

"Then...do you now know how to defeat them?" she asked.

"Yes. I realized my error the first time I touched your soul, Kagome. Your name was different then." An epiphany struck Rin and she realized that Midoriko spoke of Kikyou. "It is love that can defeat these feelings. Your love for a demon is far more powerful than that of the most gifted and blessed of priestesses. Is this not true, Rin?"

"Huh?" Rin said, feeling as though she couldn't entirely follow the conversation.

"Did your loved one not tell you himself? About your power over him?"

_You hold an authority over me that makes you more powerful than I could ever imagine to be._

"Yes," she breathed. "Yes, he did."

"It is this love that has come to release me, to banish my righteous anger and let me finally rest. I will grant you your wish. I only ask that you teach others what I have learned." Tears began rolling down Rin's cheeks.

"Thank you," she said. "I will do as you ask." Kagome echoed her sentiments.

"Farewell." The voice began to fade. "And please take care of the little ones growing inside you."

Rin would have said something more, but she became distracted when her feet suddenly found something solid to stand on. Kagome was less steady on her feet and abruptly let go of Rin's hand.

Rin had a sudden thought. "Wait! I have one more question! If demons are the result of human feelings, then what created dog demons?"

"Unrequited love, Rin." The voice was threadbare now. "You are the balm that soothes their anguish."

Sesshoumaru was not one to feel fear, but when it came to his mate, bearing his unborn pup, he felt a fear so desperate and so consuming that it took all his willpower to resist the urge to run at the enormous ball of light encasing Rin and tear at it until it released her. Her cry of pain and the sizzle he had felt along their link had been more than enough reason for him to pull her out of the ritual, to put a stop to it immediately. However, she had told him that it would be all right, that this was what she wanted. He wouldn't go against her wishes.

No matter how much he wanted to.

The ball of light suddenly snapped, blown out like a candle's flame. Kagome was on her knees, looking as though she had fallen, but Rin was on her feet on the other side of the table, and Sesshoumaru couldn't get to her side fast enough.

"Rin," he breathed, pulling her into his arms. She never smelled so good and he pressed his nose to the top of her head, burying it in the sweet scent of her hair. Her arms came around his waist and held on tightly.

"Mother!" Karran gasped out, unabashedly wrapping her arms around both her parents. "Are you all right? What happened?"

"I'm fine," Rin said, her voice muffled against his chest. He could hear her sniffing and knew she was weeping. He pressed his hand against the back of her neck and did his best to comfort her through their link. Karran held them both tighter.

He looked over at Kagome, who was in a similar position, held in the arms of her mate and son. She was softly explaining what had happened while they were inside the ball of light.

"Did it work?" Sesshoumaru whispered. "Is the jewel finally gone forever?"

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin answered. "Yes and yes!"


	23. Chapter 23

_-Inuyasha's Home-_

Rin was groggy when she woke just before dawn the next day. She and Sesshoumaru had decided to spend one more day visiting his brother. She had thought he would resist staying any longer, but he had strangely agreed without a fuss. He learned about the architecture of the buildings Inuyasha had constructed, and Rin was able to ask Kagome about the future. Karran and Kouryoku were mysteriously absent most of the day, returning only that evening for dinner. By the time dinner was over, Rin was exhausted and only wanted to sleep. She didn't remember much after lying down.

"Sesshoumaru?" she whispered. Her lips felt numb. She turned onto her side with great effort and found his bare hip. She slid her hand across his smooth skin and set her head against his chest.

"Sleep a little longer," he said quietly. "We'll depart after breakfast." He stroked her cheek.

"We'll return on horseback?" she asked. She slid her leg across his thighs, feeling too hot in her under-robe, especially since the window was closed against the nighttime breeze.

"Ah-Un returned for us. We should be home by nightfall." His hand slid to the back of her thigh, dangerously close to the center of her body. She squirmed closer to him, lying her head over his heart. It was racing. It was then that she noticed how quickly he was breathing. Was something wrong? She felt along their connection, trying to discern his mood, and realized that he was aroused-_very_ aroused. The drowsiness was falling away from her mind and she ran her hand down his stomach. To her shock, she found an enormous erection. He hissed, pulling her hand away.

"Sesshoumaru? Are you all right?" she asked, alarmed. She leaned over him on one elbow, looking at the faint outline of his face.

"Just go back to sleep, love."

She smacked his shoulder. "I will not. What happened? Does it hurt?"

"No," he said after some hesitation.

"You're lying," she said with a pout.

Sesshoumaru sighed with frustration. "Yes, it pains me. You...were tired and I was ready. I relieved myself but an hour later, I was ready again. This is the third time."

Rin's jaw dropped. "Why?" He gritted his teeth.

"Because you are you, and I will always want you. Once the ritual was over, I felt such relief." He stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "But I have put you through too much these past few days. I lust too much," he whispered.

_If demons are the result of human feelings, then what created dog demons?_  
><em>Unrequited love, Rin. You are the balm that soothes their anguish.<em>

"I did nothing against my will, Sesshoumaru." She cradled his jaw in her hand. "Even though you lust too much," she said with a grin, "I am well used to it."

He began to say something, but she lowered her head and kissed him. He moaned just a little, and the sweet kiss quickly turned into something more intimate. She slid her tongue into his mouth, twirling it around his tongue and sucking on his lower lip. His arms came around her and he pulled her closer. She lay over him, her legs falling to either side of his body. He pushed up the skirt of her under-robe and stroked the head of his cock against her. He sought to enter her but she sat up, not letting him take over. She grasped his hand and led it between her thighs.

"Touch me," she whispered. Sesshoumaru made a sort of strangled sound. He slid his fingers into the seam of her sex, rubbing the cap of nerves with the pad of his longest finger. "Yes," she achingly moaned as she loosened the belt of her under-robe. He knew exactly how to touch her, how to send lightning through her limbs and a rush of wet heat to the juncture of her thighs. He rapidly swirled his finger while his other hand flicked the peak of her breast until her nipple distended. Rin shuddered, her entire body jerking every time he hit just the right spot.

It wasn't enough, though. After tossing her under-robe to the side, she tugged his hand away and walked up his body on her knees until she was straddling his head. He growled and grabbed her hips, pulling her down and forcing her stance apart. He then feasted on her. Rin cried out, bracing her hands behind her on his chest. She couldn't see well, but her eyes devoured the sight of his face between her thighs. She could tell his eyes were open, watching her moan and writhe against his lips and tongue.

"S-suck me," she whispered. He pulled her even closer and latched onto the senstive nub nestled within her folds. He sucked hard, rubbing the pearl of nerves with the tip of his tongue. She threw her head back and came.

Though he gave her a brief moment to enjoy her pleasure, Sesshoumaru was quick to roll her onto her back. He took his place between her thighs, growling as he pushed her knees to her shoulders. His long hair tickled the outsides of her thighs, making her shiver. She sighed when he spread the lips of her sex and moaned when he eagerly buried his cock inside her. He hissed again, rearing his head back as he savored the first few deep strokes. His breaths shuddered in and out of his chest. She herself could hardly breathe. Every pump of his hips made the air catch in her throat.

"Rin," he moaned. His strokes quickened. "Rin, I-I can't hold it back." She reached around him, sliding her hands across his back.

"Come inside me," she bade. Sesshoumaru shook his head and grit his teeth. Her fingers inched up to the base of his neck. "You gave me pleasure. Take yours."

"No." He was panting now, beating his cock in and out of her. She wanted to see his climax, though, to feel his body stiffen and hear the hitch in his voice just before it overcame him, so she hastened the conclusion by dragging her fingers down the center of his back. He gasped, freezing over her. She felt the spurt of his seed inside her, and he let out the breath he had been holding. He melted onto her, his hips still bucking against her.

She tried to slide her legs back down, but her knees caught in the bends of his elbows. "Not yet," he grumbled. He moaned again, still spilling inside her.

"Feel better?" she asked him. He nuzzled the side of her neck.

"Not yet," he repeated. He rolled them over. She tried to sit up but he kept her close to his chest. His fingers brushed the base of her neck.

She knew immediately what he would do and curled closer to him, squeezing her thighs against his sides. He slowly pulled his fingers down. She groaned, digging her nails into his shoulders as the heat of arousal flooded her sex. "Sesshoumaru!" she cried out when he reached the base of her spine. She clamped down on him, her canal shuddering and fluttering around his cock. Dizziness overcame her and she pressed her face to the bend of his neck.

In the darkest part of the night, Sesshoumaru took her another two times, ensuring that she'd be exhausted enough to sleep for another few hours. She woke rested and ready for the journey home.

_-Castle of the Lord of the Western Lands-_

Ah-Un's keening cry announced their return. As soon as he touched ground, Rin hopped off the creature's back. Its left head butted her arm and she patted its scaly neck. Jaken ran outside.

"Welcome home, Sesshoumaru-sama! I did as you asked!" he squawked. Rin looked back at Sesshoumaru, who was gracefully descending from Ah-Un.

"Did what?" she asked. Sesshoumaru took her hand and led her toward the castle. "Did what, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she repeated.

"It's a surprise," he answered, rubbing his thumb against the back of her hand. "But first, I believe Toku wishes to introduce you to someone."

They entered the front door and standing inside the entryway was Toku and a red-haired demon.

"Mother, may I introduce my mate, Ikkatsu," Toku said.

"Y-you're so young!" Ikkatsu blurted out. Then, seeming to realize her manners, she winced and hastily bowed. At first, Rin didn't understand the demon's shock. _Ah, right. Toku's human mother should be a very old woman by now._

"It's a perk of being mated to a demon," she said with a wink. "Welcome to the family." She walked up and grasped Ikkatsu's hands. Her eyes went wide. "Your hands are so warm!" She groped at Ikktau's arms and pressed her hands to the demon's face as well.

"Mother," Toku groaned in embarrassment. Rin stepped back, apologizing. "Father, I also have something to tell you," Toku said.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Very well. Jaken, give Rin the tour," he bade.

"I already know this castle well, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said with confusion. Sesshoumaru didn't answer, though. Jaken took her hand and tugged her away. She watched as Sesshoumaru and her son walked down to the kitchen. Ikkatsu followed behind.

"What's he talking about, Jaken-sama?" she asked of the little toadish demon.

"Sesshoumaru-sama asked me to properly furnish the castle," he explained. "Thanks to you, I haven't slept since I arrived." Jaken glared up at her but Rin was too confused to feel sorry.

"Thanks to me?"

They entered the master bedroom. "Oh my..." she breathed. The tatami had been replaced and a new futon with silken sheets and blankets was made up. The clothes cupboard was also new and far larger. A nighttime river scene was painted on the black surface of its doors and drawers. A matching writing desk sat beneath the left window, and a window seat had been built into the right window. The same decorative touches she had seen at Inuyasha's home now adorned the doors and windows of the room, which also held the scent of a vase of flowers sitting atop the writing desk.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. "You did all of this yourself, Jaken-sama?"

He shook his head. "Inutaisho helped bring in a couple of craftsmen. Heh," he laughed, "they were almost too nervous to complete the job, being in a demon castle and all." He went back into the hallway. "Let's move on."

"There's more?" she said with amazement.

Jaken took her through the other rooms of the castle. Though some changes were small, a simple cleaning and the replacement of old tatami had livened many of the rooms. The garden in the center of the castle had also received a good weeding and the replacement of a few dying plants. Last on the tour was the kitchen. Rin squealed with joy upon entering.

The simple pots she had used for decades had been replaced, and the dining table was significantly larger and longer, able to accomodate many more family members. Most importantly, the stove had been replaced with a larger, safer one. Freshly chopped wood sat in a nearby basket, ready to be used.

Sesshoumaru stood from where he had been sitting at the table with Toku and Ikkatsu. Rin ran to him, smiling. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama!" She wrapped her arms around him. He patted her back and Rin heard Jaken loudly clear his throat.

"And you too, Jaken-sama. And...where is Inutaisho?" she asked, noticing that she hadn't yet seen her oldest son.

"He went to retrieve his Yokiri," Toku explained. Rin gasped with delight and made little hops on the balls of her feet, literally buzzing with excitement.

"I guess I should make a big dinner!" she said, smiling up at Sesshoumaru. Jaken made a happy noise of approval at the idea of a big meal.

"I've never eaten a meal prepared by a human," Ikkatsu said. "What's it like?" she asked Toku.

Toku looked at Ikkatsu with a half-smile. "You'll wish you had a bigger stomach," he teased. Sesshoumaru squeezed Rin's shoulder and through their connection, she felt waves of love and contentment flowing from him.

_Me too, Sesshoumaru-sama._

_-The Border of the Western and Eastern Lands-_

Inutaisho paced back and forth along the banks of the pool where he and Yokiri had first met. He recalled with a smile how he had fallen into it and lost his sword. Of course, he fished it out later-after they finished kissing.

He was almost too anxious to bear it. Yokiri had expressed how closely she was watched, even when her father was away. Would she be able to escape her guards? Would she not arrive at all that night? If she were caught, would she be punished? And why hadn't he thought to go and fetch her directly from her father's castle?

He glanced at the blanket he had laid out over the lush grass of the clearing. He had also brought along a bottle of fresh salve and a roll of gauze. He couldn't wait until they arrived at his home. He would mark her when she arrived.

A familiar demon energy drifted into the clearing. He turned east. _She made it!_ He heard a rustling and saw movement between the trees where the moonlight penetrated the canopy. A figure appeared at the edge of the clearing, wearing a black hooded cloak. From her height and the width of her shoulders, he knew it was his mate.

"Yokiri!" Inutaisho called. She pushed back her hood, smiling. Her ethereal wings flapped once behind her and then settled against her back. She closed the distance between them, calling his name before throwing herself into his arms. He clutched her to his chest. The relief of being together again was heady.

"I've never seen you wear black before," he commented. "It suits you." He grinned when she only clutched him tighter. "You escaped unnoticed?" he asked, speaking softly into her ear. She nodded, and he wondered if she was unable to speak. "Even unnoticed, I think your guards would know where you went once they discovered your absence."

"They would not enter my chambers. I'll not be found missing until morning," she said in a wobbly voice. She pulled back. "We'll be safe in your home, right?" He assured her they would and she hugged him close again. "I'm so elated!" she whispered. "I can finally be with you."

"Sooner than you think," he said.

She pulled back. "What do you mean?" she asked. He nodded toward the blanket. She didn't seem to understand at first, but comprehension quickly dawned on her. "H-here? Now? I-I'm not ready for that! I-I thought that we would d-do that when we arrived at your home!"

"Believe me, we'll have more privacy here than there," he said, rolling his eyes."My parents and my brother and his mate are there, not to mention an eavesdropping toad. I know already how well sound travels in that place, and I'll not wait even an hour longer to mark you as my own." He nearly growled the last, already growing hard at the thought of scratching his nails down her back, right between the roots of her wings.

Yokiri's eyes flicked down to the swelling mass between them, her mouth gaping. "I-I haven't bathed yet," she evaded. "I would like to bathe at your home first." Inutaisho smiled at the blush on her cheeks and nodded to his other side, where the freshwater pond sat.

"I would be eager to bathe you...personally." He grinned at her flustered look.

"I'm..." She worried her lower lip and hid her gaze from him. "I'm shy t-to take off my clothes." Inutaisho couldn't help but laugh. Yokiri rightfully looked horrified. She tried to pull away from him but he gathered her against him and laid a kiss on her forehead.

"I had hoped to avoid telling you, but I have already seen you without your clothes," he confessed.

She looked dubious. "When?"

"The first day we met. I watched you bathing." Her lips fell ajar. "You were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen," he rumbled, pulling her against his erection. Her cheeks were such a brilliant shade of red and she blinked as though hoping the motion would spontaneously produce the right comeback. She was adorable.

"Come," he coaxed, leading her to the pool. "You'll soon forget your shyness." She thankfully followed without further protest. At the shore of the pool, he removed his sword and boots. Yokiri remained silent as she discarded her own weapons and her cloak.

When he pulled her into his arms, he could _hear_ her heart racing. Or perhaps it was his own. He had wanted her so badly for so long. He almost asked her if his own cheeks were red with excitement, but instead, he lowered his head and kissed her.

Yokiri was both overjoyed and scared to death. She felt as high as the clouds whenever she was with Inutaisho, but she worried that their first time would fall flat, that her hopes would be shot down by her father, and that Inutaisho's parents would not be there to support them. He assured her they would, but Yokiri had heard so many things about his father...

"Mm, I can hear you thinking, love," Inutaisho said against her mouth. "I must not be doing very well at distracting you."

"It's just that-" she started to say, but he covered her mouth with his own, silencing her as he took her lips in a kiss that made her toes curl and her womb clench. His hands were everywhere and she gasped when he briefly strayed between her thighs. She moaned when he pinched her nipple, and each tug made her body jump.

"There we go," he purred. He pushed at the shoulders of her dress, and she shrieked when it dropped off her body. She caught the top of it in her hands, but Inutaisho batted it away from her grasp. She tried to cover herself, but he slinked his arms around her and she had to wrap her arms around his shoulders.

"Take my clothes off," he said in a gravelly voice. She shivered, and he rubbed his hands down her arms, smoothing away her goose bumps. They continued to kiss and she squeezed one hand between them. Untying his haori was short work, and as she pushed it off his shoulders, she couldn't believe the sensation of his bare chest against hers, or the pleasure she'd receive simply from gripping his muscled shoulders. He didn't release her, though, only dropping one arm at a time to shrug out of his haori.

His hands cupped her backside. She squirmed as he squeezed and pulled at the globes of her rear. "I love your soft ass," he whispered. She couldn't help a little squeak, disbelieving how much she enjoyed the sinful things he said. Her face became so hot that she thought she might faint. "The hakama, too, love."

"Inutaisho," she breathed as she pulled at the ties over his hips. "This-is really happening." She knew she sounded stupid, but she had to say it out loud.

"Yes. I can barely stand," he said with a laugh. That made her smile. She pushed his hakama down and they dropped with a soft thump. Inutaisho then stepped back from her, still holding her hands. "I want to look at you," he said. "And I want you to look at me."

Yokiri's lips fell ajar. _By the gods... He's beautiful._ She almost couldn't describe it. His skin was smooth-flawless. His proportions were almost godly in their perfection and symmetry. Daring herself to look right at what was about to enter her body, she stared at the twitching member that hung between his thighs. It wasn't as intimidating as she had thought, but to know that soon, a part of him would be inside her...

Something inside her broke loose. She closed the distance between them, eagerly pressing herself against his naked form and twining her arms around his shoulders. She wanted his lips and moaned when he pressed a hot, delicious kiss to her mouth. He grabbed her rear and hiked her into his arms. Her ankles locked behind him as he carried her into the pool.

They sank into the clear water and, as he had promised, Inutaisho began to bathe her. He briskly rubbed his hands over every inch of her skin, eventually slowing into gentler, more teasing strokes. It was when he bent her back over his arm and sucked her nipple between his lips that she melted completely. He moaned as loudly as she did, and his hands and mouth were greedy on her skin, groping and licking and squeezing.

She had never endured such lust in her life.

"Inutaisho," she moaned. "Take me." She pressed herself close, brushing her lips against his mouth. Water streamed down her back from her wet hair. She opened her eyes, feeling woozy and out of control, whereas Inutaisho seemed to be very much in control, as if he were on a mission to fulfill everything he had fantasized about doing to her. He was so masculine, so sure of every stroke he laid on her skin. "Please take me," she begged. She rubbed herself against his lap, shivering every time the center of her body brushed the hard arousal jutting from his pelvis.

"Yokiri," he growled. He pulled her against him and his hands slid behind and beneath her to align their bodies. He nudged her to sit down and she did so slowly, gasping when the head of his cock touched the lips of her sex. His fingers boldly spread those lips apart. She pushed herself down.

"Unnnhhh," she moaned. They were coming together and it was a sensation far better than she had imagined. She was throbbing, heavy with tingling heat, and craving more.

"I love you," he said. She looked into his eyes.

"I love you too." He lifted her and when she sank down again, he thrust his hips up. She saw it on his face, a little twinge, when the pleasure hit him. "Yes," she whispered. He thrust again. "Yes, yes." Her eyes slid shut as the same pleasure shuddered up her body. She hadn't understood how it could feel so good, but the way he filled her so completely... His hands on her backside, his hips pumping against her, his grunts and sighs with every stab of ecstasy.

"By the gods," he groaned. He upped the pace and water splashed over them as they worked their bodies against each other. She gritted her teeth as the sensations grew sharper. Her wings tensed up, sitting high on her back and slowly spreading out.

Something was happening. She couldn't breathe. Her heart was pounding. She opened her eyes, looking up at the sky as it rocked overhead. This was it. The build-up of all that stimulus, all that kissing and touching and grinding. This was the pinnacle that every creature capable of achieving it yearned to have again and again. Now she understood why.

Inutaisho thought his heart might explode. Yokiri was making little noises that made him want to come right then. She rolled her hips into his thrusts, gripped his shoulders like she would never let go, and the sight of her slick skin-her perfect breasts bouncing inches from his face-made him want to stay in that pool forever.

She was gorgeous. Her face was a study in pleasure and her wings were fanned out behind her like she would take flight at any second. By the gods was he close. He wanted nothing more than to let go, to spill his love into her warm body. He could feel his nails elongating. His body wanted to mark her.

Yokiri gasped, jerking against him. He hissed when she dug her nails into his shoulders and drew blood. Then he felt it. Her innermost muscles shuddered around him, clamping his cock deep inside her. He came. His eyes closed as a burst of hot sensations filled his head and he hugged her to him out of desperation, suspecting that he might lose consciousness. His groans echoed her aching sighs.

She melted onto him, laying her head on his shoulder. He felt something brush his arms and opened his eyes. "Yoki-" he gasped, amazed to see her wings had become tangible. They were like silver-the finest silver he had ever seen. They moved when she breathed, clinking very quietly as her feathers rubbed together. Yokiri made a sleepy noise, as though her lips were numb.

"Felt good," she mumbled, not moving anything but her mouth.

"Yokiri," he growled, his hands shaking. She made a questioning noise. "I can't wait. Not even a second longer."

"Wait for what?" she asked.

"Just hold still," he said. He pressed her head against his shoulder and placed three fingers at the base of her neck. His claws pushed into her skin. She stiffened, breathing in.

He dragged his claws down her back, carving his mark into her. "_Yes_," she moaned. He snarled in triumph, ending the mark at the small of her back.

"Finally," he said. "You're mine. Forever." He watched as her wings faded again, returning to their usual ethereal state. She relaxed in his arms and he was glad for it. He hadn't wanted the marking to hurt too much.

"More," Yokiri said. She lifted her head and he saw her face. His heart skipped a beat. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sleepy with pleasure. She rubbed her breasts against him and squeezed his cock, still inside of her. He hissed. He was growing hard again.

"Gladly," he rumbled. He kissed her, wondering how long it would be until they made it back home.

_-Castle of the Lord of the Western Lands-_

Rin made a noise of annoyance. "Where is Inutaisho? Dinner was ready two hours ago."

"It's a good thing you made so much, mother," Toku said. Ikkatsu had fallen asleep on him, passed out from eating too much, and he pat her arm. "I didn't think she'd stop until it was all gone. Inutaisho and his mate would have had none left for themselves, especially since Kouryoku and Karran arrived on Toutousai-sama's cow. I had forgotten how much Karran could eat."

"Shut up, Toku," Karran said with a pout.

"How fascinating, though, that Kouryoku can still access the time well," Rin said from where she sat on Sesshoumaru's lap. "Is it possible for you to take someone with you?"

"Yes," he answered, looking askance at Karran. He then looked to Sesshoumaru. "I would offer to take you to the future for a visit, but I don't think my uncle would allow it." Rin looked up at Sesshoumaru pleadingly.

"Absolutely not," he said bluntly. She frowned and tried to leave him, but he kept her in his lap. She quickly gave up, crossing her arms in disappointment. Toku suddenly stood up, and Ikkatsu slid to the floor without waking. "What is it?" Rin asked.

"Genbu is arriving," Toku said. He sniffed the air again. "With the general."

"Perhaps there is news from the north?" Karran suggested. Rin again tried to stand and Sesshoumaru let her this time.

It wasn't long until Genbu's phoenix demon landed outside. Rin hurried to the porch and slid her feet into her shoes. She would have hopped down to the ground but Sesshoumaru was there to grip her beneath her shoulders and set her down more gently.

"It's perfect timing!" Rin said as she ran up to Genbu. He had turned to assist his friend from the back of the phoenix demon, but the visitor dismounted without his help.

"M-mother," Genbu said, turning around in time to catch her. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and then stepped back.

"Toku said your general is with you? I would love to meet him," she said.

"It's a she, mother," Genbu corrected. Rin made a noise of surprise. It was difficult to see this late at night so far from the light of the house. "General Chihaya has been with us-with Toku and me-for the last ten years."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," a female voice said.

"Come inside," Sesshoumaru said. Rin jumped, having not heard him behind her. "Toku has news for you."

"Oh?" Genbu said. Rin felt Sesshoumaru take her arm and she let him lead her back to the house. "It's all right. Come," Genbu said softly to his companion.

Once back inside the kitchen, Rin got a better look at Chihaya. She was rather young-looking, even for a demon. Rin suspected that her own Karran was older than Chihaya. Chihaya stood proud and confident, but Rin could see than she stood rather close to Genbu. She smiled knowingly.

"Genbu!" Karran cried out. She ran to him and threw her arms around her older brother. "I haven't seen you in so long! It's been what, more than a year?" she asked. Genbu frowned, looking as though he had little patience when it came to her. Rin recalled Karran's story of the time she had caught Genbu in the middle of something quite private and could guess the reason why Genbu was uncomfortable around her. Rin had no doubt that Karran had enjoyed teasing him about it.

"Chihaya, I would like to present you to my younger sister, Karran," Genbu said in a flat voice.

"Pleased to make yo-" Chihaya began.

"You have a strange scent," Karran interrupted. "You've got Genbu's smell all over you." She gasped. "Ohhhh... Are you his mate?" Rin's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"I am," Chihaya said. "You have a keen nose, just like the rest of your family. You don't have much tact, though. I think I like you," she said with a smile. Karran had the good sense to look a little contrite.

Genbu had covered his face with his palm, softly groaning in embarrassment.

Ikkatsu, apparently having woken from her food coma, rose to stand next to Toku. "It seems that you will be ruling the northern throne on your own, brother," Toku announced. Genbu's eyes went wide.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

"Not a problem. A change of circumstances," Toku amended. "The demon harassing Ikkatsu and her sister turned out to be the Lord of the Southern Lands. I did not learn this until after I killed him."

"Then-" Genbu looked to his father and then back to Toku. "You are now the Lord of the Southern Lands?"

"Exactly," Toku said with a nod. "And you are the Lord of the Northern Lands-the _only_ lord, as it should be, really." Rin was stunned, and it seemed that most everyone in the room was just as surprised. The silence stretched on for far too long before a new interruption arrived to distract them.

"Our eldest is arriving," Sesshoumaru said. Rin detected a note of satisfaction in his voice. He turned as if he would go farther inside the room and sit among the new pillows that were piled in the corner, but he stopped abruptly. He began to growl and Rin felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"Father?" Genbu said.

"He's not alone," Sesshoumaru snarled. He strode outside with determination.

"S-Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin called.

Everyone ran outside. Rin tried to catch up to her mate but Karran held her back. Kouryoku stood in front of her, and though she was able to see past his arm, the night was black and she couldn't see much farther than where the light from the kitchen ended.

"I can't see him," she said, trying to swallow her fear. "I-I can't see!"

"This will help," Ikkatsu said. She produced a ball of fire from her hands and tossed it into the sky. It threw a bright circle of light in all directions and hung above them like a tiny, dim sun. Sesshoumaru was standing beside Inutaisho and a female demon she had never met. It had to be Yokiri. Rin marveled at the demon's beautiful see-through wings. Another was standing opposite Sesshoumaru, but she couldn't see who.

She tried to go closer, but Karran stopped her.

"I need to hear this," she said. She turned, looking at Karran with the stern expression that she had always used on her children. "Let go of me, daughter. Now." Karran blinked, swallowing. She nodded hastily.

Rin walked toward her mate and both Karran and Kouryoku kept up. She didn't venture too close, though. Sesshoumaru wouldn't have liked it. She was able to see who he was talking to, though. She blanched, knowing instantly that it was Fukurou-sama, the Lord of the Eastern Lands-and Yokiri's very angry father.

"This is an outrage, Sesshoumaru," he said. His jet-black hair resembled that of a hawk, and beautiful black feathers highlighted his hairline. He was a handsome demon, though something about his face seemed sinister. Then again, Sesshoumaru's face had that same element. "My scout followed my daughter and reported that your son had defiled her."

"He has not, Father!" Yokiri insisted. "He has only given me what I wanted!"

"He is not your kind!" Fukurou shouted. "Do you not see what Sesshoumaru and his 'family' are? Nothing but half-breeds mixing with and tainting other demons. You will return with me before he can taint you."

"It's too late for that," she said. "I am marked."

Fukurou's eyes flashed. "You...let him mark you?!"

"I am the offended party, Fukurou," Sesshoumaru said, insulting the owl demon the same as he had by dropping the -sama. "You sent your allies, the crow demons, to murder my human mate, probably thinking that she was the human who carried the jewel. You sent them again to harm her and my brother's woman. For this, I should kill you."

Yokiri gasped, long and slow. "Father, you didn't."

The owl demon's face paled. He backed up a step. "It wasn't me. My sister has closer ties to the crow demons than I do. She had told me of a new weapon that she had discovered, that she had sent her minions to retrieve it."

"Your sister is your domain. If you cannot control her, perhaps you should not be the one to rule. Or, perhaps you are lying," Sesshomaru growled. "Perhaps you told her to retrieve the _Shikon no Tama_."

"W-we are both insulted then. Return my daughter and I shall not trespass any longer."

"Wrong," Sesshmouaru said. "The demonic blood my son carries is superior to your own. You are honored by the attention my son has paid to your daughter, by the promise he has made with the Marking Ceremony. I will not undo it and neither will you."

"S-s-superior?" Fukurou yelled. "He is not even a full demon! He is tainted by human blood!" Fukurou was suddenly thrown backwards.

"Father!" Yokiri shouted. She looked at Sesshoumaru, who had tossed the owl demon away with his poison whip. "Stop it!"

Fukurou regained his feet and walked back, holding his side and limping. His mouth was bleeding a little.

"You would take my throne? Is that it?" he asked. Rin looked to Sesshoumaru, worried that he was about to do something that would make his eldest son hate him.

"No, I would not," Sesshoumaru replied evenly. Rin closed her eyes, sighing with relief. "Removing you as the Lord of the Eastern Lands would displease your daughter and therefore displease my son. Instead, you will continue to rule and I shall not pursue the act of war that your crow demons committed upon my family."

"I had not known you to be merciful," Fukurou said.

"Merciful?" Sesshoumaru chuckled. "Upon the birth of his first child, you will pass on your throne to my son. He is the mate of your eldest daughter. Whatever plans you had for succession, consider them changed."

Inutaisho looked at his father, stunned. Fukurou frowned but was silent, and stared at Yokiri for a long moment. Yokiri nodded at him.

"Very well," the owl demon said with a sigh. "You must be very satisfied with yourself, Sesshoumaru," he said. "Once my daughter bears her first child, you and yours will control the entire country."

The Lord of the Western Lands made a soft noise, half-smiling. Jaken ran behind Rin. "Satisfied is one way to describe it," he admitted.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," Jaken whispered with amazement. Rin echoed him, rather amazed herself.

"I shall return to my domain before I lose anything else to you," Fukurou said with a mild sneer. He spread his black feathered wings, which Rin hadn't seen tucked against his back. A rush of wind blew against them as he took flight, and his wing beats quickly faded into the night.

Everyone stood there frozen. Sesshoumaru, however, seemed as unfazed as usual. Nonchalantly, he turned and walked toward Rin. She looked at him with a pounding heart and heaving lungs. He pinned her with his eyes, and when they were within arm's reach, he swept her into his arms and carried her toward the house.

Before Rin left earshot, she heard Inutaisho ask, "Is there any food left?"

_-The Next Morning-_

Jaken lay in the corner of the kitchen, asleep atop the pile of pillows. Rin had warned everyone not to disturb him, else they would find themselves without breakfast. _It's about time he got some sleep._ She wasn't so sure that any of her rambunctious children could have woken him, anyway. They and their mates were all gathered around the table, fighting for each new dish she set down and talking loudly. If their raucous didn't wake Jaken from his exhaustion, nothing would.

Sesshoumaru sat just outside on the porch, gazing out at the rising sun. Rin blushed when she recalled the night they had shared. She finished spooning out the last dish and set it on the table. Fairly certain that everyone would be able to eat their fill, she went out to the porch and took a seat next to her mate.

She laid her hand over her abdomen, wondering if she would have a girl or a boy this time. Sesshoumaru's arm came around her shoulders, pulling her closer. She leaned her head against his chest.

"Genbu and Toku will leave soon," she commented. "I think Karran will also leave with Kouryoku, and it won't be long until Inutaisho leaves to rule the Eastern Lands."

"Good," Sesshoumaru sighed. "They are too loud." Rin frowned, sad at the thought of her children leaving her again. Sesshoumaru squeezed her closer. "They will visit often. Do not feel sorrow, love."

"The castle will seem empty once they are gone."

"It will not be long until our newest pup is born," Sesshoumaru pointed out. "I plan to take full advantage of you once these noisy children have left." She felt heat suffuse her cheeks.

"Is that so?" she asked. Sesshoumaru leaned down, placing his lips near her ear.

"It is," he whispered.

"How?" she asked quietly. "Tell me what you would do."

"And ruin the surprise? I shall only tell you that it involves a hot spring." Rin shivered, turning her head toward her mate. She closed her eyes, letting him lay a tender kiss on her lips. She heard her children cheering from behind them.

"I look forward to it," she said with a smile.

The End 


End file.
